Reps move to reposition Road Safety Corps, as 3 bills under go public scrutiny

sister agencies, relevant MDAs as a centre of research in road traffic administration and safety management and for related matters;

A bill for an act to establish FRSC inspectorate training school as a higher national diploma awarding institution to provide academic and professional training and for related matters;

A bill for an act to establish FRSC academy as a degree awarding academy institution to provide academic and professional training and for related matters as well as bill for an act to establish FRSC road marshal assistant training school and for related matters in addition to a motion on recurring blockade of highways by articulated trucks in Nigeria.

Disclosing the rationale behind the public hearing, Hon. Samuel, the essence of the public hearing was to get the views of the public on how to move forward and make the dream of the founding fathers of road safety come to pass.

“The purpose is to commend the road safety for taking the lead in road traffic management administration and safety management in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Two to see legal backing or recognition for institutions that’s are fully in operation at different levels,” Honourable Samuel said.

He also enjoined major stakeholders at the hearing to put up constructive suggestions.

He commended the FRSC for having the foresight to propose the establishment of the institutions for the building of personnel capacity.

“I just want to emphasize the importance of collaboration and synergy in office and among agencies of government. As you all know and the chairman of the Corps can attest to it, if not for the fact that we are up and doing, if we rely on budgetary allocation alone what we are doing here will not be possible and I am making this special appeal to other agencies to borrow what we are doing here, that it is important to form synergy, to collaborate with other institutions,” he said.

“The last leg of this public hearing is to let the outline know that the committee is working on a motion to curb recurring of obstruction caused by articulated vehicles on our highways. Let me reiterate that public hearings are crucial avenues for us to distil public opinions and set the course of the nation over policies and activities with the sole aim of providing our people with the needed space to participate in our lawmaking processes”, the committee chairman explained.

According to him, other laws and regulations, training and retraining of members of the Corps was of utmost importance.

“It is my firm belief that the establishment of the Institutions would avail Officers and Marshals of the Corps and interested members of the public opportunity for capacity building and development of positive policies that will eradicate the menace of road traffic crashes in the country. It will also enhance leadership qualities of such member of the Corps to be vibrant road traffic administrators and safety managers,”he said.

A representative of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Paschal Iwuaga, said that the NUC did not get the bill for the establishment of the FRSC Staff College.

He also said that the NUC does not oppose the Road Safety Academy but that the Chairman of Council must be appointed by the Nigerian president.

Other stakeholders commended the FRSC for its foresight and the committee for ensuring that everyone was carried along.

They also appealed that other members of the public be allowed to attend the institutions when established.

CSOs urges INEC to build Nigerians confidence around BVAS

By Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

Less than 22 days to the 2023 general election, the resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED ) has called on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to build Nigerians’ Confidence around Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to ensure there is would free, fair election.

CHRICED also called on INEC to engage in more confidence building concerning the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) device, which came under the spotlight at the recent Governorship Election Petition Tribunal judgment for the Osun State gubernatorial election conducted in 2022.

Briefing newsmen on the State of the nation in Abuja on Thursday, CHRICED Executive Director, Comrade, Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi said INEC should make sure the forthcoming election is delivered successfully.

He also accused the present government saying that the Buhari administration has failed woefully, in all ramifications and there’s nothing good to say about this government.

Speaking further, he said “2023 is another opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and breath new life into it by electing the right leaders.

Zikrullahi explained that the election is taking place at a time when the country is facing numerous challenges, from insecurity to turmoil in the economy and the lack of job

He said, “From insecurity to the turmoil in the economy and to the lack of jobs for those willing and ready to work, there are more than enough reasons for all registered Nigerians to come out in good numbers on

Election Day to exercise their democratic rights.

While commending the INEC for its a recent extension to the timeframe for the collection of PVCs, he said “There been very disturbing video evidence of cases wherein Nigerians wanting to collect their PVCs were asked to part with specific sums of money to be able to get their PVCs

“CHRICED unequivocally condemns these manifestations of petty corruption in the PVC collection process as documented in Enugu and Nasarawa States.”