The Pan-Nigeria road safety campaign, a partnership between ExxonMobil and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has been launched in Akwa Ibom State. The campaign which is part of a series of road safety programmes to address the challenge of road accidents will witness a week-long activation events in the state lined up for Eket, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene.
The year-long campaign which was formally launched in Abuja in June 2013 by the Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of FRSC, Osita Chidoka focuses on three critical areas: seat belt usage, speed reduction and use of phone while driving.
In his speech at the flag-off of the Akwa Ibom State awareness campaign in Eket, the Manager, Logistics, Mobil Producing Nigeria, Capt. Femi Olaiya, said that ExxonMobil is partnering with FRSC on the campaign to promote attitudinal change among road users in Nigeria in order to reduce road accidents.
According to Capt. Olaiya ‘the national road safety initiative reflects the level of priority which ExxonMobil accords safety in all its locations of operation in Nigeria. This campaign demonstrates our commitment to safety and support for Nigeria’s aspiration for accident-free roads’.
Capt. Olaiya advised drivers to ensure that they use their seat belts, avoid over speeding and use of mobile phones while driving in order to protect themselves, their passengers and other road users from avoidable road hazards.
Speaking at the event, Deputy Corps Marshall, FRSC, Mr. Yomi Olukoju said that road crashes have been a source of concern not only to the people of Nigeria but to most developing countries and in the next few years, road crashes may be the third highest killer of mankind.
Olukoju while narrating various chilling stories of how road accidents affected his loved ones, said that road crashes do not just happen but are caused and therefore preventable. According to him, ‘this campaign is a national reawakening to address the challenge of poor attitude to road use in Nigeria which has resulted in several avoidable accidents’. He commended the partnership between FRSC and corporate bodies particularly ExxonMobil which he said has shown commitment to issues of road safety and security of human life in work places.
In his comment, Unit Coordinator of FRSC, Eket, Mr. Effiok Udouwem, attributed a whopping 85% of causes of road accident to human factor while environmental and mechanical factors contributed 5% and 10% respectively to road accident statistics. He commended the unique collaboration between the FRSC and the private sector and said that the partnership will go a long way to ensuring attitudinal change and reduction of carnage on Nigerian roads.
