Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka, Abuja
Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative (APRI) has called on authorities of States/FCT Vehicle Inspection and Road Traffic Officers under the Ministry of Transport to intensify enforcement of Road Worthiness of Vehicles plying Nigeria Roads towards contributing in the efforts to curtail road traffic crashes on the roads.
The call was made by the Executive Director of the Organization, Amb. Fidelis Nnadi, in a press statement in Abuja.
According to Amb. Fidelis Nnadi, the level of road crashes has become alarming and requires intensive action from the Vehicle Inspection and Road Traffic Officers of States/FCT considering that they have the constitutional mandate towards safety of lives and property on Nigeria roads.
“A Nation with the high level of road crash deaths and injuries must, as a matter of responsibility wake up in efforts to mitigate the carnage.”
Nigeria Road crash index, as reported by the Nigeria Police Force, FRSC, and VIOS is not encouraging but alarming as lives and property are lost due to preventable and avoidable road crashes, Nnadi lamented.
While reacting to the deplorable situation in road traffic safety administration in Nigeria, Amb. Nnadi advocated that the States/FCT should intensify enforcement of Road Worthiness of vehicles through the use of technology backed vehicle inspection of all categories of vehicles plying Nigeria Roads, advising the judiciary to refrain from giving court judgements that undermine enfiorcement of road traffic regulations for the interest of vulnerable road users.
He condemned the attitude and insensitivity of some motorists and other class of road users challenging the efforts of officers regulating safety on the roads in courts simply because they consider their right being trampled upon.
“It is to be recalled that a former President in Nigeria said that the security of lives can not be sacrificed on the alter of human rights, and such statement was sustained.
“The judiciary should take note of such a sustained statement in deciding matters brought before it as concerned road traffic safety matters.
Recalling the tragedies that befall many Nigerians due to tanker fire disaster, Amb Nnadi urges the State Houses of Assembly to rise against the growing incidents of road crash deaths and injuries by making constant review of the States/FCT Road Traffic/Transport Regulations to make laws that will improve the functions of the Ministry of Transport while the Governors should allocate adequate funding to fund acquisition of required operational vehicles, technology and capacity building for the officers.
He blamed the current situation of inaction of the road traffic/VIO officers towards optimising their functions to lack of adequate funding.
“Road crash is the major cause of deaths and injuries in Nigeria. This has been confirmed by world Bank reports, that Nigeria Road Traffic Safety structure demands total overhauling both at Federal and State level,” he noted.
APRI condemned the use of vehicles that are not road worthy to ply the roads, adding that it pose serious dangers to lives of innocent road users and urge the enforcement officers to apply the “off the road” regulation to remove rickety vehicles from plying the roads as stipulated by the law.
