FRSC Charges Special Marshals On Integrity, Passion

Members of the Special Marshals arm of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been charged to discharge their humanitarian responsibilities with passion, integrity and commitment to save lives and reduce road crashes across the country.

The Sector Commander, FRSC RS 12.1, Bauchi Sector Command, CC Caleb Luka, gave the charge on Saturday while speaking shortly after presiding over the induction of new members of the Special Marshals at the FRSC Base in Bauchi.

Luka commended the Special Marshals in Bauchi State for their contributions to road safety and urged the new inductees to learn from existing members and remain committed to the ideals of the organisation.
He expressed optimism that with sustained commitment, Bauchi State could produce a National Coordinator of the Special Marshals.

According to him, integrity, passion and commitment must remain the guiding principles of every Special Marshal, stressing that nobody was forced to join the voluntary service.
He said passion was particularly important because many members were motivated by their desire to rescue victims of road crashes and prevent loss of lives.

The sector commander cited the intervention of the Bauchi State First Lady, who, according to him, had repeatedly participated in rescue operations, taken crash victims to hospitals and assisted with the payment of their medical bills.

Luka said the FRSC was considering conferring an honorary Marshal recognition on the First Lady in appreciation of her passion for humanitarian and rescue activities.

He also urged the Special Marshals to go beyond responding to crashes by identifying and addressing the factors responsible for road traffic accidents.

He said, “It is not good enough to have the passion and go for rescue. After seeing the crash victim and what has happened, the next question you should ask yourself is: what else can I do to prevent this crash from occurring again?”

Luka stressed the need for members to become strategic thinkers and contribute to achieving the FRSC’s target of reducing road crashes and fatalities.

He said understanding the operating environment was critical to effective road safety operations, adding that members must identify specific challenges within their areas and develop practical solutions.

The sector commander expressed concern over the high rate of crashes along the Jos Road in Bauchi, particularly around identified zebra crossings and other critical corridors.

He also raised concern over crashes involving tipper trucks and trailers along the Maiduguri Road, recalling a recent crash in which nine people were burnt to death.

According to him, such incidents underscored the need for stronger preventive measures rather than relying solely on rescue operations after crashes had occurred.

He listed public enlightenment, research into the causes of crashes, accident investigation and road inspection among measures that Special Marshals could undertake to complement the efforts of regular FRSC personnel.

Luka said the ultimate objective of road safety was to achieve zero fatalities, stressing that every life lost in a road crash was a cause for concern.

He disclosed that the FRSC’s accident investigation team was already working to establish the causes of the recent fatal crash involving nine persons so that appropriate preventive measures could be developed.

The sector commander further urged the new inductees to understand and “quarantine” their operating environment by studying its peculiar challenges and focusing their interventions on areas where they could make the greatest impact.

He also emphasised discipline and sacrifice, urging the Special Marshals to remain above board even when confronted with difficult or frustrating situations.

Earlier, the State Coordinator of the Special Marshals, SM Godwin Obioha, described the organisation as a regimental arm of the FRSC, saying members were expected to obey lawful directives of the Corps and protect its image.

Speaking on behalf of the new inductees, Esam Mohammed assured that they would work with existing members and the FRSC to promote road safety and reduce crashes across Bauchi State.

The oaths of office and allegiance were subsequently administered to the new Special Marshals by the FRSC RS 12.1 Zonal Command.