FRSC reiterates commitment to partner special marshals to ensure safety in A’Ibom

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Akwa Ibom State Command has said that it will partner Special Marshals in the state to reduce road crashes.

The FRSC’s Sector Commander, Akwa Ibom State Command, Mr Oga Ochi stated that the special marshals were a component of  the corps in ensuring safety on the Nigerian roads during a  workshop for the special marshals in Uyo on Thursday.

According to Ochi, special marshals over the years have contributed significantly towards the advancement of road safety campaign and had been  a commendable effort.

He added that the FRSC mandate of preventing and minimising road traffic crashes, creating safe motoring environment, regulating and coordinating  could not be achieved without road marshals.

He said: “To achieve  this mandate, considering the challenging operational environments in Nigeria, we must re-establish our working relationships and engage our stakeholders more regularly.

“We must focus and re-strategise campaigns for greater effectiveness through forums and workshops like this where we can learn, interact, review our operations and come up with useful suggestions that will give us direction aimed at achieving safer motoring environment.”

He urged the special marshals to ensure adequate coverage of strategic locations that always witness heavy traffic to reduce traffic congestion on the roads.

Ochi reminded the motoring public on the traffic rules and regulations, warning that the corps would commence Special Patrol to clampdown on traffic offenders with effect from next month.

The sector commander commended Heads of Security Agencies and special  marshals in the state for their support to the corps in ensuring safety on the highways.

In her paper entitled; ” Special Marshals Duties in a Dynamic Society”, Prof. Ini Uko, called for periodic training for the special marshals to improve on the service delivery to the nation.

Uko in her paper also called for more synergy among the constituting units of the sector command, so that the relationship among special marshals would be more harmonious and efficacious.

“Since Special Marshals are largely professionals from different fields of endeavour, the Corps should empower them to undertake researches that are relevant to road safety at the local and state levels specifically, and national if necessary. The Command will be the  better for it,” Uko said.

Our correspondent reports that the theme of the workshop is, “Volunteering: Motivating Factors and Challenges.”

The highpoint of the event was the induction of new special marshals and inauguration of the State Executive led by Mr Daniel Ekong as the Coordinator.