Frsc insight september 2012 by FRSC INSIGHT

FRSC

A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION

www.frscinsight.com SEPTEMBER 2012

ember months

much ado about

www.saferoadinnigeria.org

From The Editor-In-Chief

ave you ever wondered why votes of thanks are given at ceremonies? Traditionally, votes of thanks are given to appreciate guests for their attendance, apology for observed lapses at the event and expectation that guests would honour future invitations. Legend has it that as early as 1700 BC the Semitic Egyptians had invented the alphabets from which the Romans developed the pen – lettered alphabets. According to Carlyle, ‘certainly the art of writing is the most miraculous of all things man has devised’’. The art of writing enabled Sweden to achieve 100% literacy as early as the 18th century when the Lutheran Church ordered that every person must learn how to read the Holy Bible. Australia in 1870 introduced compulsory education as a remedy for combating ignorance, which government, at that time, considered as the major contributor to high rate of crimes. Today technology has availed mankind the means of communicating thoughts beyond the traditional pen – lettered mode, to using the mobile phones and computers to send instant messages through SMS and emails, only with the push of a button. Like delivering vote of thanks at ceremonies, messages either in prints or conveyed via electronic modes, as courtesy demands, should be acknowledged. This assures the sender that their messages have been read and actions would be taken on them. This practice, as simples as it sounds, is what Ani Nkechi, an Assistant Route Commander and Personal Assistant to the Corps Marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps has perfected, through which the FRSC got involved in an award exercise where the Corps emerged as the most outstanding public service organisation in Nigeria. You can read the details of this award and why we feel Ani on our ‘one on one’ interview segment deserves mention as worthy of emulation not only by FRSC Officers but by all and sundry. Why the much ado about ember months? If you are still wondering too then read along. In addition, all the usual regular stories can be read in this edition. Remember that all previous editions of your FRSC Insight are available on www.frscinsight.com

editorial OC Oladele (CC) Head, Planning Advisory Unit Editor – In - Chief

FRSC

IN THIS EDITION ■ FRSC and The ISDMG Award - pg 4 ■ Ember Months - pg 6 ■ Quotes on Communication - pg 9 ■ Respect National Symbols - pg 10 ■ Fact File - pg 13 ■ Special Interview - pg 14 ■ Air Water Fire - pg 16

Copyright & Disclaimer . The information contained in this Newsletter has been compiled by Federal Road Safety Corps [FRSC]. It provides general information only. Some photographs and graphics contained therein are only for dramatization (i.e. may not represent any member, client, partner, facilities, employee etc. of Federal Road Safety Corps). No responsibility is accepted for the correctness and completeness of the given information. . Copyright © Federal Road Safety Commission. All rights reserved. Contact Details Federal Road Safety Corps National Headquaters Olusegun Obasanjo Way, Zone 7, Wuse District. PMB 125, Abuja, Nigeria 0700- CALL - FRSC 0700 - 2255 - 3772 0807- 769 - 0362 (Text Messages Only) Email: info@frsc.gov.ng Website: www.frsc.gov.ng

EDITORIAL BOARD Osita Chidoka Corps Marshal/Chief Executive Publisher

OC Oladele (CC) Editor–In-Chief

KD Alegieuno (ARC) Editor

Members VO Ogunnupebi (ACC) AR Obagbemiro (CRC) CB Nwokolo (DRC) DO Enakireru (ARC) 0I IKOKU (ARC)

The ISDMG Award The Federal Road Safety Corps was recently among other government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)who received an award from the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group on efficient service delivery. First, FRSC was among the preliminary list of eighty-eight(88) public institutions that were shortlisted from a pool of 328 MDAs nationwide that responded to the ISDMG’s Freedom of Information Request. Following the voting, FRSC was endorsed by the public as one of the outstanding public institutions in Nigeria, thus conferred with service delivery award for outstanding public institutions for its prompt and expedient response to mails. Following the return of Nigeria to democracy, there was need for MDAs to carry out government business in a manner that meet the aspiration of the public. This came with the big need to do things right... See page 4

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FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

FRSC AND THE ISDMG AWARD By KD ALEGIEUNO (ARC) Public Advisory Unit FRSC Headquarters, Abuja

he Federal Road Safety Corps was recently among other government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)who received an award from the Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group on efficient service delivery. First, FRSC was among the preliminary list of eightyeight(88) public institutions that were shortlisted from a pool of 328 MDAs nationwide that responded to the ISDMGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Freedom of Information Request. Following the voting, FRSC was endorsed by the public as one of the outstanding public institutions in Nigeria, thus conferred with service delivery award for outstanding public institutions for its prompt and expedient response to mails. WHY ISDMG Following the return of Nigeria to democracy, there was need for MDAs to carry out government business in a manner that meet the aspiration of the public. This came with the big need to do things right. The Nigeria civil service came under greater scrutiny, contracts were screened, agencies and commissions were set-up to control corruption. Government seemed not to be satisfied and went further by insisting that all its MDAs implement a feedback mechanism that will ensure that government lived up to its promise to the citizens by drawing what has become to be known as the SERVICOM Charter. It thus came out clearly that government was ready to x-ray its activities and subject it to public scrutiny. However, as noble as this idea there was a question; will government set a bench markand score itself? This created a gap that needed to be filled which led to the conception of the idea of a grand Civil Society Watch coalition aimed at ensuring that those entrusted with public funds put such funds to the use for which they were given. The Independent Service Delivery Monitoring Group, which is seven years old, was created to fill this gap by

providing honest, unbiased and transparent assessment from an independent point of view. ISDMG is therefore a consortium of several civil society organisations with a large repertoire of media partners with the goal of ensuring effective service delivery of government agencies through the appraisal of and verification of ongoing,completed physical projects and service delivery of Federal, State and local government, ministries/Departments and agencies. FRSC AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FRSC introduced performance management system in FRSC in 2008 in order to enhance and improve service delivery, plan, facilitate decision-making, facilitate human resource planning as well as build good relationships with the motoring public. Performance management in FRSC is aimed at creating a work environment where staff would perform to the best of their abilities. Each staff is measured based on his Key Perfor-mance Indicators (KPIs), which must support the accomplish-ment of the overall goals of the Corps. The performance of the Corps as noted by the public is ensured because it focuses on developmental plans and opportunities for each staff with overall goal of providing efficient and effective service delivery, thus reducing RTC to the barest minimum. CONCLUSION Having independent organisations measuring the activities of MDAs to a large extend will provide a vehicle to magnifying the voice of the public by putting additional pressure on government organisations to achieve higher levels of performance by spurring them to readily fulfil theircontract objectively and as when due.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

lhaji Omotosho Adekunle could not help but weep uncontrollably after watching a sitcom during the 9pm Network News bulletin on the inherent hazards of dangerous driving and other road vices. He shuddered with fright after watching a crane from the Federal Road Safety Corps being used to pull out the near-decomposing corpses of two gentlemen in their prime, whose SUV vehicle plunged into the notorious Ovia River, located 21km from the Benin toll gate. According to the Edo Sector Command of the FRSC, this slope which careers sharply into the river has between January and August this year, accounted for 27 road crashes and 10 deaths with 8 fatal and 18 serious cases of road carnage, the recent being 4 University dons. These gloomy reflections were the pre-occupations on the mind of Alhaji Adekunle as he lay

bedridden in his room with feeling of relieve after surviving a near fatal lone crash which resulted to spinal cord injuries. Within the last 11 months, he has passed through the Doctor’s surgical knives for 5 times with scars which only brings unpleasant memories. With occasional grunts; he recounts the painful experience of November 2011 which according to him was an unforgettable day of his life. A day which puts an abrupt end to all his plans and then confined him to a solitary bed and has to move with the aid of one of his children, Kunle who has virtually stopped going to school in order to attend to his father’s needs. According to Adekunle “I had almost passed Katsinala when I heard a sudden sound which was followed by a burst tire and the next thing I saw was the bus skidding off the road. I woke up later on a hospital bed with a strange numb

much ado about

ember months BY OHAERI OSONDU, Mnipr, Fcai Media Officer, Corps Public Education Office FRSC Headquarters, Abuja

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

feeling on my left leg. The nurse later told me that I was brought in by concerned Nigerians together with some of my passengers who were involved in the near fatal accident and now, I can no longer use my left leg. It is very painful.” he said. Also recounting an unpleasant experience during a trip started from the Kaduna Mando park at exactly 7.30pm in October of last year, Miss Ephraim Bassey ; a tomato seller who trades on perishable food items at the popular Uyo Central market, recalled from her hospital bed in Abuja that “the fatal crash which claimed 7 lives and left 4 other passengers on critical condition at the Intensive Care Unit of Unity Clinic at Kubwa, could have been averted if the driver had noticed the worn-out tyre on his vehicle before the night trip which has left me with a severe neck and back injury that made it difficult for me to sit down for too long. It was very ghastly and I was lucky to have lived through it.” she explained. A common feature between Adekunle and Ephraim’s near death experience is the fact that both are hinged on the fact that both accidents occurred during the period which most people referred to as the ember month’s period. The Ember months are usually reffered to the calendar months of September to December. These are the months during which a higher incidence of deaths and injuries through road traffic accidents due to the increased number of road users in the run up to the festive season are usually recorded. As usual, the Federal Road Safety Corps has initiated a novel strategy towards imparting safety consciousness among road users across the country through the flag-off of a week-long robust public advocacy , intensive patrols and rescue services devoid of enforcement with the theme : “ Attitude, the Change we need to reduce Road Crashes” . According to the FRSC Spokesman, Corps Commander Jonas Agwu “ the reason for rolling out our annual safety awareness campaign drums in this manner is to tell motorists that road safety is the collective responsibility of everybody , so we decided to remove payment of fines by traffic offenders from our operational activities for the week in order to elicit acceptable traffic conduct from road users the weeks ahead and through out the ember season”. Most worrisome is the generally held misconception which ascribes the spate of road crashes during the ember season to the activities of some spiritual forces which operate on designated routes of the nation’s highways with the primary motive of ‘sucking human blood” through road carnages which often result to untimely death of drivers and passengers of “targeted” vehicles plying the highways. But while debunking these claims, Commander Jonas Agwu explained that “the insinuations that road traffic accidents are caused by spiritual forces is laughable and unfounded. The fact remains that over ninety percent of road traffic accidents are due to human causes. We have drivers who will refuse to obey traffic rules and regulations, drivers who despite the fact that they know the dangerous consequences, will still go ahead and buy tokunbo tires and indulge in alcohol while driving. So it is a combination of these factors that are responsible for the accidents you see on the roads and not any spiritual forces.

Added to this trend is the reluctance of most drivers to do the routine morning checks on their vehicles before leaving home. It then follows that attitudinal syndrome remains a determinant factor towards safer road use in Nigeria. Little wonder, the FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Osita Chidoka will always assert that “bad use of the road and not bad roads lead to road crashes” meaning that the driver’s acts of omission has a direct bearing on road crashes. In trying to elucidate on the traffic peculiarities associated with the ember season, this week’s piece will try to look at vehicle condition and vehicle accessories which will no doubt, equip vehicle owners with adequate knowledge on maintenance and proper use of vehicles in order to reduce avoidable road crashes, especially during the ember season. UNDERSTANDING VEHICLE ACCESSORIES Every vehicle is provided with accessories whose state and condition is determined by the proper , correct or effective use of necessary accessories provided in such vehicles. Some of these accessories which every driver should understand how to work with include: Seat adjustment spring/knob Seat belt Steering Mirrors Dash board informative signs Gear lever Head lamp switch Trafficator/signal switch Hazard light switch Pedals( brake, clutch and throttle/accelerator) Horn button Dryer/defroster buttons Parking tyres, etc This week’s edition of ember months’ series of public advocacy will pause here but a comprehensive treatment will be given to these accessories in our drive towards educating vehicle owners on appropriate measures in managing and maintaining these accessories to guarantee the safety of its occupant(s). Till next week when this series will continue, always note that only our positive change the trend of road crashes in Nigeria.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

Quotes

What we do in life is determined by how we communicate to ourselves - Tony Robbins

Effective communication is the cement that binds an organization together. It is the foundation upon which successful teamwork and good customer relationships are built - Connie Podesta

Hear your customer out completely, no matter how many times you've heard the same things before - Author Unknown

Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret - Ambrose Bierce

In a conversation, keep in mind that you're more interested in what you have to say than anyone else is - Andy Rooney

If you don't give people information, they'll make up something to fill the void - Carla O'Dell

The less you talk, the more you're listened to - Abigail Van Buren

You cannot speak that which you do not know. You cannot share that which you do not feel. You cannot translate that which you do not have. And you cannot give that which you do not possess. To give it and share it, and for it to be effective you first need to have it. Good communication starts with good preparation. - Jim Rohn

Communication is the soul of management; analysis and solid decisions translated into clear messages that influence people to act and feel good about their performance. - Dianna Booher

Most of the successful people I've known are the ones who do more listening than talking - Bernard M. Baruch

Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply - Stephen R. Covey

I've always believed that a lot of the trouble in the world would disappear if we were talking to each other instead of about each other - Ronald Reagan

Communication starts with intention - as your intentions will be felt long before your message is heard - Doug Firebaugh

It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners - Erma Bombeck

Speak properly, and in as few words as you can, but always plainly; for the end of speech is not ostentation, but to be understood - William Penn

The substance of your communication is the response it generates - Tony Jeary

Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choices of words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech - Edwin H. Friedman

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

respect national

symbols ! BY LISA ORONSAYE Corps member, PAU, RSHQ

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

ccording to Wiki pedia, a National Symbol is a symbol of any entity considering itself and manifesting itself to the world as a national community – namely sovereign states, but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, (con)federal integration, or even an ethnocultural community considered a ‘nationality’ despite the absence of political autonomy. The bad news is that so many Nigerians do not have full knowledge of the national symbols and what they stand for, I there for wish to share with you in this article a write-up by the DG, National Orientation Agency on ‘Respect for Nigerian National Symbols which was circulated to Ministries and parastals. I hope you will learn one or two things from this vital information. Most importantly, I hope you will put what you learn into practice. National symbols intend to unite people by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of the national people, values, goals, or history. These symbols are often brought together as part of celebrations of patriotism or aspiring nationalism (such as independence, autonomy or separation movements) and are designed to be inclusive and representative of all the peoples of the national community. National Symbols are significant to the nation because they represent our ideals and aspirations as a people. They are also the insignia of authority and instruments of state and power and the rallying focus of calls to patriotism and national duty. The national symbols represent the varied customary beliefs of the people of Nigeria and have been part of its heritage for a very long time. The symbols of Nigeria depicts the stages that has been involved in the transition of the old Nigeria to the new Nigeria it showcases the faith we have in the country, our hope and determination to succeed and they also represent past and present milestones we have and may encounter in the course of building the brand "Nigeria". The inappropriate treatment meted out to our national symbols needs to be addressed. For the purpose of clarification and identification, the National Symbols are categorized as follows: THE NATIONAL FLAG The Nigerian Flag of green-white-green which emerged when the country became independent on October 1, 1960 in place of the Union Jack, the British Flag remains our totem and ought to be treated with the greatest veneration. To protect this National Symbol from abuse, section 5 of the flag and Coat-of Arms ordinance No. 48of 1960 stipulates that: “any person who flies or exhibits the National Flag in a defaced or bad condition shall be guilty of an offence against this ordinance”. Again, Chapter 2, Section 24(a) of the 1999 Constitution as amended enjoins all Nigerians to “respect the national Flag, the National Anthem, the National Pledge and legitimate authorities”. In spite of all these, the National Flag is the most widely abused. It is subjected to various unwholesome forms of abuse not only in private premises, but even on premises of government establishments which ought to know better. Banks, and other financial organizations, automobile dealers etc. are all guilty of these violations.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

It has become a common occurrence to find the following infractions: Flying tattered/faded/defaced National Flags; Hosting and flying different smaller sized National Flag along bigger corporate flags; Sewing together different colours of green and white to produce a National Flag; iv. Using the National Flag for trade adverts; Flying a National Flag overnight in the dark; Hoisting and flying the National Flag at the same height with non-National Flags and Burying the deceased with the National Flag COAT OF ARMS There are seven features on the Coat-of Arms. These are: The Shield; The two wavy bands on the shield; The two supporters (Horses) on both sides of the shieldnormally white; The flora/foliage Coctus Spectabilis (flowers on which the shield rests); The Eagle-normally Red; The Wreath on which the Eagle perches-green and white; and The Motto of the Nation below the shield. The SHEILD, which is black, represents the good earth of Nigeria and should always be black in colour. The WAVY BANDS, which are silvery on the shield, stands for the River Niger and Benue and their confluence. They should not be in blue or green or any other colour. The GROUND (Flora) on which the shield stands is the Coctus Spectabilis, which is a common wild flower found throughout Nigeria. It has four sepals and four petals with deep yellow flowers, three on each side of the shield as the River Niger flows. The flowers must always be represented as such. The WREATH on which the Eagle perches is in Nigeria’s National Colours of green-whitegreen. It should never assume other colours. The EAGLE stands for strength and is represented in red. The MOTTO of the country, is “UNITY AND FAITH, PEACE AND PROGRESS”, appears in black inscribed on a yellow band. In all cases, Mr. President’s portrait must be to the right hand side of the Coat-of-Arms as the red Eagle faces while that of the Governor or FCT Minister as the case may be, should be on the left. CONCLUSION The great decline in the attention Nigerians accord our national symbols, noting that the dreams and efforts of our founding fathers in the sustenance of Nigeria as an indivisible entity cannot be separated from the unity of Nigerians as captured by the various national symbols.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

Facts

Dalmatians are born without spots. Bats always turn left when exiting a cave. The ‘v’ in the name of a court case does not stand for ‘versus’, but for ‘and’ (in civil proceedings) or ‘against’ (in criminal proceedings) Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right, but women’s shirts have the buttons on the left The owl is the only bird to drop its upper eyelid to wink. All other birds raise their lower eyelids. The reason honey is so easy to digest is that it’s already been digested by a bee. Roosters cannot crow if they cannot extend their necks. The colour blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die. Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart. When hippos are upset, their sweat turns red. The first Harley Davidson motorcycle was built in 1903, and used a tomato can for a carburetor. The lion that roars in the MGM logo is named Volney. Google is actually the common name for a number with a million zeros. Switching letters is called spoonerism. For example, saying jag of Flapan, instead of flag of Japan. It cost 7 million dollars to build the Titanic and 200 million to make a film about it There are 1,792 steps to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen gas bubbles bursting. Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death. It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body. The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air. Colgate faced big obstacle marketing toothpaste in Spanish speaking countries. Colgate translates into the command “go hang yourself.” The only 2 animals that can see behind itself without turning its head are the rabbit and the parrot. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. The average person laughs 13 times a day. Women blink nearly twice as much as men. German Shepherds bite humans more than any other breed of dog. Large kangaroos cover more than 30 feet with each jump. Whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound. Source: http://www.hemmy.net/2006/04/30/50-interesting-facts/

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

Good idea is what drives the world; great initiative is what pushes an organisation forward. Insight crew recently granted an interview to NJ Ani, Assistant Route Commander whose initiative has added more honour the Corps numerous initiatives.

one-

May we know you? I am Nkechi Joy Ani, an Assistant Route Commander. I am the Personal Assistant to the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive. I was born in Enugu state .Between the period 1986 to 1991, I obtained my first school leaving certificate at St. Cyprian primary school, Akpakpalike and between 1993 to 1998, I obtained my West African Examination Certificate, WAEC at Tran Ekulu Girls Secondary School, Enugu and Girls Secondary School, Imeziowa, Enugu. Between 1991 and 2004, I obtained my OND and HND at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra state. Between 2010 and 2011, I obtained a PGD in Education at the University of Mkar, Benue state. When did you join the Corps? I joined FRSC on 14 of February 2007. Did you start to work as PA to COMACE since enlistment? No, I was first posted to RS4.22, Utukpo Unit as a patrolman and staff officer to the Corps Public Education Officer. I later took over as the Public Education Officer because the head was transferred to another Command. I worked as the Public Education and Protocol Officer until I was nominated as the; Transport Safety Officer (TSO). I remained the TSO until 2010 before issue of threat against me for refusing to collect bribes came up in my Command and the report was sent to COMACE which led to him inviting me over to RSHQ to know what transpired between the drivers in the park and my colleagues in the office. it was after my meeting with COMACE that I was transferred to the Corps Intelligence Office as the staff officer to admin. On the 16 of March 2011, I was made the PA to COMACE.

What does the PA schedule requires? As a PA to COMACE, it is my duty to make sure that all incoming mails are passed to COMACE as at when due and at the same time, I make sure that outgoing mail are dispatched immediately to the appropriate offices. I also make sure that all the receiving and the dispatch clerks do their work accordingly as well as the cleaners too. As the PA, I make it a point of duty to send SMS to any person or organisation that forwarded a memo, letter or proposal informing such a person or organisation about the movement of such document. With the SMS the person knows where to go to. Why do you send SMS on movement of memo? I do so because COMACE himself believes in transparency and to let them know that memos or letters forwarded to COMACE office are treated with utmost dispatch What impact has this novelty on the Corps? It has brought too many good names to the Corps and it has made the COMACE receive award as the most outstanding public institution in Nigeria. I was very surprised when after receiving the award COMACE dedicated it to me. This makes me feel very elated, humbled and ever resolved to work harder. We learn that sometimes you send SMS by even using your personal phone and resources, what motivates you to embark on this? I do so because I want to add more value to COMACEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth. I believe that using my resources sometimes is the little sacrifice I need to pay for COMACE counting me worthy to work with him.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

special interview

on-one This type of innovation how do you think can be introduced in the Nigeria public service as a way of transforming it? The way I think it can be introduced is for the other public service organisations to come and learn from FRSC experience. This usually typifies the remark or feedback I receive from those I sent SMS to. You work with a workaholic, how do you cope with the pace having to work late nights and even during weekends and public holidays? I am already used to working very hard which I believe prepared me to cope well with this. You also work with a man who receives lots of visitors within and outside the office how do you handle them especially the difficult, impatient and uncooperative ones? Overtime I have learnt to handle each and every one of them with respect and understanding irrespective of the person or attitude exhibited. And to keep to the SERVICOM standards I am professionally trained to comport myself in all situations. The Corps is working towards becoming a world class organization, do you see this vision as being realistic anytime soon? Very soon Why very soon? I said very soon because, if you look at the pace at which the Corps is moving both within and outside the country, you will agree with me that FRSC is on course on being transformed as a world class organization

What advice do you have for other staff of the Corps? My first advice goes to the patrol staff on our various roads that they should always keep the image of the Corps flying because they are always in contact with the public, their actions tells much of the Corpsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; image. As they carry out their duty they should always remember that the road is patient but it does not forgive. They should always do the right thing not because they are afraid to be punished if caught but because it is always rewarding to do the right thing at all times How would you want to see the corps in the next 100 years? In 100 years to come I would want the Corps not just to be a world class organisation but the first among equals Who is your role model? My role model is Mr. Ostia Benjamin Chidoka OFR the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, FRSC. I am constantly inspired by almost all the things I see him do and almost all the things that goes on around him. What are your hubbies? Reading, singing and dancing You are married ? Not yet.

FRSC INSIGHT NOVEMBER 2012

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

AirWaterFire AIR Air is a mixture of gases that extends from the earth surface to outer space. The earth’s gravity holds the air in place around the earth. The main gases of the air are nitrogen and oxygen. Nitrogen forms 78% of the air, oxygen 21% while other gases such as argon, water vapour, carbon dioxide, neon, helium, krypton, xenon, hydrogen and ozone form 1%. Argon is the most important of this 1%. WATER Water covers 1.4 billion km3, 70% of the earth’s surface. Water is almost everywhere that it is available in the air that man breathes. Water is the only substance that exists naturally in the three states of matter, in gracious form as water vapour, in liquid form as water and in solid form as ice. Water is one of mankind’s greatest needs. Water exists as fresh or salt water. The oceans and seas contain salt water and they form about 97% of the total water available to man. Only 3% is fresh water. Of the three percent, 75% is locked up in glacier while only 0.75% is available in fresh water lakes and rivers. Almost every drop of water we use finds its way to the oceans from where it is evaporated by the sun into the atmosphere; it condenses and returns to the earth as rain. The human body is about 65% water which is equivalent to 72 litres in volume. The composition is similar to that of the sea water. FIRE Fire is the heat that goes out of burning substances. As far back as 1777, it was proved that fire only occurs with the presence of oxygen. The flame is the visible portion of the fire. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma.

Decade of Action for Road Safety is attainable! Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Join hands to create a Safe Road in Nigeria