The Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Nseobong Akpabio, on Friday advised officers of the command to shun inducements when apprehending offenders.
Akpabio, during the ember month campaign for Lagos Mainland Unit of the FRSC, urged the officers to focus on saving lives and not on the status of offenders.
“Do not compromise the safety of Nigerians on the road; the focus should be to save lives irrespective of the status of the offender.
“When on enforcement, do not discriminate and do not allow yourselves to be influenced by corrupt offenders,” he said.
The Sector Commander at the Iddo Motor Park, venue of the event, urged stakeholders, irrespective of class or religion, to take safety issues seriously.
He said that the commission had taken the safety campaign to schools to ensure that safety culture was inculcated in the youth.
He said that the World Bank had recommended the FRSC campaign model to other African countries because of its success.
The Unit Commander of Lagos Mainland, Yaba, Mr Arinze Igwe, said that continuous driver education was needed to change the negative mindset and attitude of drivers to traffic rules.
Igwe said the monthly event was aimed at “increasing the road users’ safety consciousness ahead of the peak of road usage in the last quarter of the year”.
He said that the campaign was necessary in his zone which covers Ikorodu Road, Otto, Yaba, Oyingbo, and Jibowu, due to high vehicular movement on the axis.
Also, the Traditional Ruler of Otto, Oba Ganiyu Odesanya, who was represented by Chief Samsudeen Pedro, in his goodwill message, advised drivers to practise defensive driving.
“See all other drivers as insane and that you are the only sane driver; that way we can reduce accidents,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign was interpreted in Yoruba and Hausa languages.