The SGF who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, General Service Office, Alhaji Mohammed Bukar noted that the FRSC’s promotion process which involved physical fitness tests and computer based written and oral examinations were conducted with the highest level of integrity and strict adherence to regimental ethics. According to him, the promotion examinations were conducted strictly in accordance with the global best practices.
“I congratulate the Management of the FRSC for the will and capacity to adhere to the guidelines they set for the promotion examinations in the face of pressures from the various interest groups which could have undermined the process,” he stated. The SGF further stated that promotion is an attestation to staff’s hard work, dedication and commitment to duties and a reward for loyalty and shared vision of the staff with the organisation, adding that it also provides opportunity for successful and non successful candidates to reflect on the realities of the exercise.
Engineer Bbachir lawal urged those that lost out in the exercise to be patient and wait for another opportunity, pointing out that if in doubt such officers should feel free to use official channel of communication to seek redress. He warned against anonymous petition writing and making allegations that cannot be substantiated, appealing to such staff to desist from the act or face severe disciplinary action. “We are aware that FRSC has meticulously put in place a system of transparency in the conduct of the examinations and redress system that guarantees the integrity of the process,” he stated.
While congratulating the promoted staff, the SGF assured that the Federal Government will remain committed to addressing the challenges of staff capacity development and provision of logistic and infrastructural facilities to the FRSC to ensure optimal performance by the staff. He specially commended staff for the efficient traffic management they displayed during the recent Christmas and New Year celebrations as evidenced by the massive deployment of personnel in all identified black spots, which led to safer road environments for travellers during the festivities. He urged the staff to sustain the commitment in the New Year.
In his own goodwill message, the Deputy Governor of Niger state, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Ketso while congratulating the promoted staff, commended the FRSC Management for providing an enabling environment for its staff to develop their capacities. He gave assurances that the Niger state government will continue to collaborate with the FRSC to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways particularly in the state.
In his keynote address, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi disclosed that a total of five hundred and eighty eight (588) Officers were successful in the recent promotion exercise. He further stated that the figure is made up of 1 Deputy Road Marshal (DCM), 8 Assistant Corps Marshals (ACMs), 11 Corps Commanders (CCs), 75 Deputy Corps Commanders (DCCs), 125 Assistant Corps Commanders (ACCs), 12 Chief Route Commanders (CRCs), 11 Superintendent Route Commanders (SRCs), 108 Route Commanders (RCs) and 237 Deputy Route Commanders (DRCs).
While validating the integrity of the FRSC’s promotion process, the Corps Marshal noted that it was not only thorough in planning but also in execution, adding that apart from meeting the criteria set for the exercise, it duly reflected the Federal Character principles of the Federal Government aimed at ensuring balance in the federation’s diversity. “With the newly promoted DCM, each of the six geopolitical zones of the country now has a Deputy Corps Marshal. Other Senior ranks from ACM to DCC have also been carefully distributed among personnel from all the States of the federation,” he said.
The FRSC Boss enjoined all the promoted officers to strive to live up to the demands of their new ranks and continue to exhibit humility, obedience, leadership qualities and improved service delivery. He stressed that Management is not unmindful of cases of those that lost out in the exercise which he described as highly competitive, but warned against such officers faulting the clear and structural system worked out for the purpose. Accordingly, he appealed for calm, noting that there could be another opportunity for them, adding that as a human-based system, it is impossible to satisfy the yearnings and aspirations of everyone at a time, even with the best efforts and intentions.
“For the avoidance of doubt, there can only be a Corps Marshal and 6 Deputy Corps Marshals at any given time. This equally applies to the file of Assistant Corps Marshals and other Management ranks that the system can accommodate,” he stated. Oyeyemi called on those that lost out in the promotion exercise, either for lack of space or failure to measure up to the requirements to understand the basic principles driving the exercise, saying they should rather not nurse grudges against Management but reaffirm their dedication and loyalty to FRSC as an organisation that is built and run on the principles of command and control to which all serving Officers have sworn to abide with.
“This honoured value system abhors rumour mongering, anonymous petition writing, side talks, hearsay and all other forms of unfounded fairy tales capable of undermining the integrity of the system.
“In the light of this, the tripod principle of Consultation, Rewards and Punishment (CRP) would continue to be applied in identifying hard work and indolence in the system for appropriate application,” Oyeyemi stated.
The Corps Marshal assured staff that promotion in the FRSC will continue to be consistent, transparent and everyone due will be given the desired consideration. “In order to further improve on the process, Management has set up a committee charged with the task of looking into the Corps promotion processes and procedures so as to further harvest all accruable individual and corporate advantages for national development,” he further stated.
The Corps Marshal urged Nigerians to always remember that road safety is a shared responsibility and requires high level of mutual participation in the appropriate directions. He called on the citizens to dutifully discharge their civic responsibilities, the least of which is obedience to road traffic rules and regulations for the nation to assail and be counted among the accomplished nations as envisioned in Vision 20:2020. He thanked the President for approving the outcome of the promotion exercise and commended Nigerians for their consistent support for the Corps.
The decoration ceremony of the 9 senior officers including a Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) and 8 Assistant Corps Marshals (ACM) was jointly done by the representative of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Deputy Governor of Niger state with the support of the Corps Marshal. The joyous occasion was witnessed by some top Management staff of the FRSC and well wishers who came in large number in solidarity with the promoted Officers.
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