Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State, on Tuesday, called for closer synergy and cooperation among security agencies to ensure safety on roads within the country.
Mbah, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Information, Chief Eze Aka Eze, made the call in an address at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Course 2 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Command and Staff College, Udi near Enugu.
The governor noted that closer security and intelligence sharing on incidents on roads within the country by various security formations and agencies both military and para-military would lead to greater security and safety of lives and property on roads.
He said that the state government had keyed into the FRSC vision of reduction in road crashes and fatalities, adding that it had equipped the state traffic officers with the same set targets.
“As an administration, we are making all efforts to fix and improve on all roads and road infrastructure within the state; while we are calling on the Federal Government to do the same.
“Our partnership with the FRSC for training and retraining of our road traffic officers will continue and be strengthened so that as a state it will also build its own capacity to deal with road traffic issues and challenges,” he said.
Mbah congratulated the graduating participants of the course, while commending the FRSC management for being in the forefront of raising the standard and quality of its staff.
According to him, my administration will continue to partner with the FRSC and strengthen existing engagements of mutual benefits.
Earlier, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, said that the event was significant to the Corps as it marked its commitment to continuously improve its educational and operational standard and capacity.
Biu, represented by the Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) Bisi Kazeem, who is in-charge of FRSC Training, said that the Corps was building resiliency and increasing its service delivery capacity by equipping its officers with quality and international standard training.
“The course is meant to prepare the participants for command and leadership roles in road safety operations and management within and outside the country.
“I congratulate the graduates and urge them to pass down all they have learnt in the course to their colleagues in various commands and units within the country.
“They should also promote the ideals of FRSC and be good ambassadors of the College in word and deeds,” he said.
Biu commended the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Force, President Bola Tinubu, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for all the support and encouragement they had given the Corps to succeed.
In a welcome address, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Chidiebere Nkwonta, appreciated the Corps Marshal and FRSC management for the fatherly support to the college especially to the Senior Course 2 during their six-month course period
Nkwonta noted that the participants displayed resilience, hard work and dedication while passing through the rigours of the course, adding that the course curriculum included: leadership and management; ICT; FRSC operations, FRSC legal framework; demonstration/simulation among others.
In a goodwill message, the Auxiliary Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Enugu, Bishop Ernest Obodo, advised the graduating participants to put all they had learnt to practical use in the society to further reduce road accidents.
“I must tell you that our people needed more enlightenment and education on road safety issues so that there would be a level of discipline and positive culture on our roads and user roads being considerate to one another,” Obodo said.
The first best graduating officer, Funmi Rufui, who spoke on behalf of other graduating officers, thanked the FRSC Corps Marshal and management for the privilege and opportunity to learn in the prestigious College
Rufui appreciated the Commandant, directing staff and lecturers of the College for imparting their knowledge and inestimable experience on them.
The high points of the event were the conferment college award on participants, decoration of participants with college pins, issuance of certificate to participants and award to six best graduating participants.