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Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111

Sultan of Sokoto graces FRSC 6th Annual Lecture Series; preaches road safety

Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111
Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar 111
Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III has urged Nigerians to embrace the ideals of road safety, saying relevant agencies must work hard to ensure that vehicles are properly inspected to confirm their road worthiness status before being allowed to ply on the nation’s highways. The Sultan stated this today in his opening remarks at the 6th Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Annual Lecture Series which took place at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua centre Abuja.
According to Bisi Kazeem, Head Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Sultan Abubakar 111, who was the Chairman of the occasion, the ongoing campaign for the restoration of the integrity of the licensing system of the country must be supported by members of the public, stressing that a situation where non-certified drivers use fraudulent means to obtain fake driver’s licence must not be encouraged. He added that such individuals cause hazards not only to themselves but other road users.
The Sultan commended the FRSC for its campaigns on speed limits and use of seatbelt, urging drivers to always drive within the stipulated speed limits and ensure that they belt up whether as a driver, front seat passenger or backseat passenger, saying as a Special Marshal, he always ensure that his convoy maintains the stipulated speed limits whenever he is travelling. He urged everyone to obey traffic rules and regulations, saying road crashes claim more lives than air crashes.
On the FRSC annual lecture series, the Sultan commended the leadership of the FRSC for the initiative, noting that the choice of the Governor of Lagos state as the Guest Speaker for this year’s lecture series is apt, considering the peculiar nature of Lagos state with very high traffic volume and a mega city with increased economic activities. These peculiarities, he said, make the Governor of the state an appropriate person to deliver the lecture, as that would provide him the opportunity to share his experiences on the management of traffic in the state and how he is using the state traffic management agency (LATMA) to achieve the feat.
Sultan Abubakar further stated that his involvement in road safety campaign, especially his decision to agree to chair the event was a demonstration of his commitment to road safety matters and to join hands in the efforts to save lives and property of road users most of whom require enlightenment on how to use the road safely. “My presence here today demonstrates my commitment to issues of road safety and has also given voice to the traditional and religious leaders on the need to get involved in matters of road safety,” he stated.
In his own address, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir Lawal who was the Guest of Honour at the occasion, applauded the FRSC for the initiative of the annual lecture series, noting that since its inception in 2009, the programme has contributed enormously to public awareness on issues of road safety. Engineer Bbachir enjoined the state and local governments to collaborate with the Federal Government on issues of road safety, pointing out that since all the tiers of government are involved in road construction and rehabilitation, they must all work together to ensure safety on the roads through initiation of certain measures.
The Corps Marshal of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi in his welcome address thanked the participants for honouring the invitation, saying the lecture series was initiated as an avenue to create public awareness on issues of road safety sensitise members of the public on the menace which road traffic crashes cause to the people of the third world countries. Oyeyemi recalled that since the inauguration of the lecture series in 2009, several prominent scholars, road safety practitioners and top government officials including the former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and the Ghanaian President, John John Dramani Mahama among others, have delivered lectures on different topics on road safety management. He assured the participants of the commitment of the FRSC in sustaining the annual event, urging the stakeholders to remain committed to the campaign to make the roads safer for all.
In the lecture titled, “State Road Traffic Management Efforts: The LASTMA Experience,” the Guest Lecturer, who is also the Governor of Lagos state, Mr Ambode Akinwunmi, represented by the Secretary to the Lagos State Government, Tunji Bello recalled that the establishment of Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA) under the administration of Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu was informed by the need to address the challenges of motorisation and urbanisation in managing the traffic in the state.
According to him, as a mega city with extra ordinary traffic challenges, there was the urgent need to find appropriate solutions to the growing volume of traffic characterised by gridlock, saying this was what led to the establishment of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency through the law enacted by the Lagos State House of Assembly. “The establishment of LASTMA was informed by increased vehicular population and increased economic activities which required a specialised traffic management agency to effectively manage the traffic challenges of the state,” he stated.
Ambode further noted that in carrying out its statutory responsibilities, LASTMA collaborates with other relevant stakeholders like the FRSC and the Nigerian Police to manage urban traffic, noting that the measure has created opportunity for the FRSC personnel to concentrate more on the highways. He pointed out that the strategy of creating s state traffic management in the state has brought some level orderliness in traffic movements in the state, noting that as a result of the success recorded in the experiment, other states are copying the Lagos example to tackle their own traffic challenges.
The Governor gave assurances that Lagos state government will continue to collaborate with other relevant stakeholders in road transport in the collective efforts to ensure free movement of traffic in the state, saying the state is committed to creating a safe road environment that could support unhindered economic and social activities in the state.
The 6th FRSC annual lecture series attracted the Minster of state for Health and his counterpart in the Ministry of Environment as well as other top government officials. Also in attendance was the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on FRSC, Engineer Yunusa Abubakar who led other members of the Committee from the legislature to the lecture which attracted participants from across the sectors including the military, paramilitary, transport and civil society organisations. Members of Road Safety Officers’ Wives Association (ROSOWA) and wives of Officers of other services were also on hand to share from the lecture which equally had members of the Special Marshals and Road Safety Clubs from schools within the FCT in attendance.
The lecture had as its theme, “Partnering With States on Road Safety Administration.”

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