The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Government Affairs, Senator (Chief) Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East/PDP), has assured the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of continued support from the Nigerian Senate to bolster the agency’s efforts in preventing road traffic crashes across the country.
Senator Onyesoh stated this during an oversight visit by the Senate Committee to the FRSC Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, November 13th. The visit was to assess the level of FRSC’s implementation of its 2023 Supplementary Budget, the 2024 Budgetary Allocations, as well as the agency’s Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) and subsequent remittances.
In a statement made available by Peter Oriri, SA Media & Publicity to Senator Onyesoh, stated that the Senate’s support for the FRSC will continue to ensure the corps can effectively carry out its mandate to minimize road traffic crashes, particularly through adequate budget allocation and implementation.
Senator Onyesoh also acknowledged the FRSC’s efforts to overcome challenges, especially the limited budget allocated for staff training. He emphasized the importance of improving the public image of the Corps, a goal he believes has been effectively pursued through the continuous training and retraining of personnel to meet international standards in performance and operations.
The committee chairman further charged the corps to intensify efforts as the festive period approaches, aiming to reduce road fatalities and improve response times.
In his remarks, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Shehu Muhammed, commended the Senate for its support, maturity, and commitment to national service. He highlighted several initiatives, including the creation of the FRSC mobile app, which enhances the agency’s technological capabilities. This app allows road users to report incidents and traffic-related issues in real-time, thus improving response times and overall efficiency.
Other key developments within the FRSC include enhanced inter-agency collaboration, improved staff welfare, and a strict zero-tolerance policy for indiscipline.
Senator Onyesoh also urged the FRSC to explore innovative revenue-generation strategies, noting that many countries generate revenue through traffic infraction fines. He commended the Corps Marshal for his leadership and for the improvements made within the short period since he assumed office, describing the FRSC as one of Nigeria’s top-performing agencies.
The Senate Committee Chairman reminded the FRSC leadership to ensure that job opportunities within the agency are distributed in a manner that reflects the Federal Character principles, promoting equity and fairness in employment across the country.
Present at the meeting were other members of the Senate Committee including Senator Diket Plang (Vice Chairman), Senator Muhammad Monguno, Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Sampson Ekong, Senator Okechukwu Ezea, Senator Binana Yaroe, Senator Etang Williams, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator Kelvin Chukwu and Senator Amos Yohanna.
Also present were top management staff of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The oversight visit further reinforced the Senate’s ongoing commitment to supporting the FRSC in its critical role of ensuring road safety and reducing road traffic fatalities in Nigeria.
