By Okechukwu Onuegbu


The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Monday, attributed the increased number of auto crashes often record nationwide to quest to meet up with high expectations, reckless driving, drug abuse, use of rickety and poorly maintained vehicles.

The Sector Commander, FRSC, Anambra State command, Joyce Nnennaya Alexander, who disclosed this during a courtesy call by the executives and stakeholders of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Anambra State Council, said this was why they would never relent in sensitising the public on safety measures to be adopted to escape this.

According to her, most times commuters load more goods in rickety and poorly maintained vehicles, abuse alcohol, illicit drugs and other substances and drive recklessly in order to meet up with family and personal expenses during the Yuletide.

This according to Alexander, often lead to auto crashes which the public sometimes, erroneously believed to be caused by evil spirits and village people jealous of people wealth or prosperity.

"There are no evil spirit or village people pursuing people on highways during the ember months or Christmas and New year seasons. Deaths often recorded this season are causing by our insatiable nature... some tend to make more money to meet up with their respective expectations.

"In the process, people drive all manners of vehicles both old and rickety vehicles, some poorly maintained. Some do this under the influence of illicit drugs and substances. There are those who do not sleep in the quest of making more money and other adventures. At the end, they consume bitter kola believing it will prevent them from sleeping while driving but it often fails and lead to loss of lives and property," she stated.

The FRSC boss said they would increase the road safety awareness campaign towards reducing auto crashes in Anambra especially at the Yuletide by going beyond motor-parks, including schools, offices, associations and industries through town-hall meetings and media.

"My coming to Anambra State is to make Anambra road users and residents feel the impact and importance of establishment of FRSC. We will work with all the stakeholders to achieve this. We value engagement of all the stakeholders through town hall meetings, media campaign and other strategies. In this ember months, we will go beyond motor-parks campaign.

" The command is also planning to resuscitate road safety clubs in schools, train media practitioners, rejig and induct more people into the special Marshall unit for improved road safety campaigns. We also believe in enforcement of road safety laws. We will enforce them whenever the needs arises. We will also take advisory or precautionary actions when needed. I count on your supports to surpass what my predecessors achieved in road safety in Anambra State," she added.

The Chairman of NUJ, Anambra State Council, Dr Odogwu Emeka Odogwu had during the courtesy call praised the road safety boss for all she had achieved in road safety education, assuring her that the council was ready and willing to partner with the command for safety of our roads within and after the Yuletide.

Also speaking, the NAU Matriarch and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Paul's University Awka, Professor Chinyere Stella Okunna, urged the Sector commander never to underate the power of the media, because according to her, utilising them would contribute immensely towards her success story, while protecting lives and property on the road.