Road Safety boss extols Dangote over reduction in crashes

From Abubakar Yunusa ABUJA

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Dauda Biu has extolled the Dangote Industries Limited (DIL) for implementing safety standards that have helped in the reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) in Nigeria.

Mr. Biu, who was speaking when he hosted a team from the Dangote Cement Plc, Transport Division, said the new feat was made possible through the collaboration with his agency and the implementation of some mutually agreed safety standards by the company.

The Dangote team was led by the Divisional Director, of Transport, Mr. Ajay Singh.

The Road Safety boss said: “Notable among them is the reduction of road traffic crashes involving Dangote Transport Trucks through the implementation of minimum safety standards in the Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme (RTSSS).”

According to Mr. Biu, in order to effectively achieve this, the Corps collaborated with the Technical Committee comprising Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON), the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) on speed limiting device implementation in Nigeria.

He said the establishment of an Outpost at Dangote Cement Plant Obajana, has contributed tremendously in the reduction of road traffic crashes along the everbusy Obajana - Kabba road in Kogi State.

Other areas of collaboration with the company, he said, include, the establishment of a standard and functional driving school, collaboration in conducting professional Road Assessment (Road Safety Audit) for issues of safety concerns on the roads, as well as partnership on the Dangote Drivers’ Training Centre(Driving Range).

He said the FRSC was prepared to work with the Dangote Cement Transport Obajana to improve the Company’s fleet management, especially on fleet certification in order to further reduce RTC involving the Company’s vehicles.

Speaking earlier, Divisional Director Transport, Dangote Cement Plant, Obajana, Mr. Ajay Singh said the Dangote Cement Plc was working assiduously to further bring down the rate of crashes involving its trucks while adding that the collaboration between the Dangote Group and the FRSC was paying off.

He, on behalf of the company, congratulated the Corps Marshal for his elevation and appointment.

FG warns MDAs against implementing unapproved salary increases

From Abubakar Yunusa

The federal government has directed all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) implementing increases in salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits without its approval, to desist from such acts.

Ekpo Nta, chairman, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC), issued the warning at a two-day training workshop for salary inspectors in Abuja.

The training was organised for the execution of the second phase of the 2022 salary inspection programme.

Speaking at the conference, Nta said the commission over the years, through salary inspection programmes, discovered that some agencies were implementing unapproved salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits.

“I want to unambiguously state that even where the establishment acts of any fully-funded, partiallyfunded, and self-funded federal agencies allow its board to determine its remuneration, it can only do so after statutory input in line with section 3 (1) of the NSIWC Act 1999,” he said.

“This is irrespective of whether their establishment act predates 1993 or not. They are bound by our act in the same way and manner, the Public Procurement Act 2007, the ICPC Act 2000, Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007, and so on, upon enactment.

“Whether pre-dating or postdating their establishment acts, apply to all federal government agencies.”

The NSIWC chairman said it was on this premise that the federal government issued two circulars signed by the secretary to the government of the federation, directing all MDAs to desist from implementing any increase without the agency’s input.

He said the circular also required MDAs to inform NSIWC of any government approvals, following receipt of such approvals.

“The country will not accept fiscal indiscipline where the personnel budget and non-regular allowances of the overhead budgets for public service employees are not controlled and spiral out of control without a corresponding increase in productivity, especially in selffunded institutions,” Nta said.

“This can be attributed to unregulated recruitment, implementation of the national minimum wage etc.”

Nta also said the commission had prevented the government from losing over N400 billion annually, through inspection and other activities that would have been abused, wasted, or misappropriated.

He said this year’s programme would cover agencies which have obtained approvals to implement new salaries, allowances, and fringe benefits, within the last six months.

The MDAs, according to the NSIWC boss, include the ministry of industry, trade and investment, and its parastatals; as well as the ministry of mines and steel development, and its parastatals.

Nta urged the salary inspectors to equip themselves during the workshop, go into the field and carry out the inspection with dedication and zero tolerance for compromise.

He warned that any inspector found contravening set rules and regulations would be penalised appropriately for criminal breach of trust or unethical conduct.

Nigeria’s manufacturing sector shrinks in March as cash scarcity bites

From Abubakar Yunusa