The Zonal Commanding Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps,(FRSC) Zone 8, ACM Hyginus Omeje on Thursday called for more dedicated magistrates courts for prosecution of traffic offenders.
Omeje, who is the zonal commanding officer of FRSC, zone 8, comprising Kwara State, Ekiti and Kogi States, made the call at the First Quarter Zonal Retreat for officers and special Marshals held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti capital.
He said the call became necessary as one of the proactive measures to ensure attitudinal change in motorists using the nation’s Highways.
He decried the high rate of fatalities recorded in the zone during the period in review, saying the corps would adopt more proactive measures to curtail the recurrence of the incidence.
Omeje said that the figure of crashes resulting fatality became increased due to the considerable increase of good condition of the Federal Highways.
He said, the retreat was meant to strategise toward achieving the corps 2022 Strategic Goals of 15 per cent reduction in fatalities, enhancing FRSC partnership for innovative actions and consolidation on our data management.
“I must tell you that our fatality figures in the zone for this first quarter, we are not comfortable with it.
“We have discovered that what is responsible for these figures is that the federal highways are improving in terms of road conditions and what this implies is that drivers are now speeding excessively on those highways.
“For instance the Ogbomoso-Ilorin- Jebba road axis, even the old Oyo-Ogbomoso road that was rehabilitated, we now noticed that we have more fatalities on this axis.
“We will stop at nothing, including prosecution to ensure desired reduction in crashes on the nation’s roads, particularly the roads in the zone.
“I have discovered that motorists will be ready to pay fines than going to the courts. We are going to start using what they dreaded most to curb road crashes menace,” Omeje said.
The zonal commanding officer said that the corps had directed commanding officers in the zone to synergise with their Ministry of Justice to ensure dedicated magistrate courts were set aside for hearing of FRSC cases.
“The zone 8 directives are that after seven days a ticket or citation is issued and the motorists have not reported, they should track such traffic violator.
“They should approach the dedicated Magistrate Courts get a ‘Writ of Summon’ in order to prosecute him or her,” Omeje added.
He, however, reiterated the commitment of FRSC to ensure safety of the country’s highways through intensive awareness in religious centres and public places.
In his own comment, the Ekiti FRSC Sector Commander, CC, Ocheja Ameh, thanked the corps for choosing Ekiti command.
Ameh said he was optimistic that the retreat would improve on their service delivery in Ekiti in particular and the zone in general.
Present at the event include, the Kogi State FRSC Sector Comander, CC Solomon Agure, his counterpart in Kwara State, CC, Jonathan Owoade, Dr Adetayo Adedayo, the Zonal Coordinator of Special Marshals among others.(NAN)(www.nan news.ng)
