PBAT Tasks African Governments On Workable Solutions To End Road Accidents

President Bola Tinubu wants the African leaders to build international partnerships in addressing the increasing number of road accidents in the continent.

President Bola Tinubu who stated this at the opening of the International Road Crash Victims Africa Conference said there was need for governments and stakeholders in the continent to come up with workable solutions that would put an end to killings of productive young Africans in road accidents.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, President Bola Tinubu said the present administration was investing heavily in road infrastructure to enhance social economic activities and protect lives and property on Nigerian roads.

President Bola Tinubu assured that the federal government would provide support for global initiatives that would drastically reduce accidents.

The Chairman Senate Committee on Interior, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, in his Keynote address, believes that strict enforcement of traffic rules and more visibility of Federal Road Safety Corps personnel would bring about sanity on the highway.

Senator Oshiomole said that the most influential and political elites in Nigeria are fond d of breaking traffic rules and driving recklessly with no regard for traffic officials in the country.

He advised the Federal Road Safety Corps to show more courage in arresting and prosecuting traffic offenders no matter how highly placed in the society to address flagrant disobedience to traffic rules and regulations .

The former governor of Edo State, however, stressed the need for government at all levels to always include road signs in awarding road contracts to guide road users.

He commended the Federal Road Safety Corps for championing the course of reducing road accidents in Africa, which he said would contribute immensely to Africa’s development .

Earlier in her remarks, the Founder of Kwapada Road Safety Demand and the President Court of Appeal Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem said the conference brought together Road Safety Officials from Fifteen African countries together with experts from the World Bank and United Nations as well as International Non Governmental organizations to alleviate the plight of road accident Victims who are always neglected in the society.

Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem said the Foundation would establish an International Trauma Centre in Abuja to mobilize necessary assistance to the victims of road accidents who are not catered for in the country

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps Mallam Shehu Mohammed said the outcome of the conference would bring a formidable approach and stem down the rate of road accidents in Africa.

The Conference with the Theme: Gathering the World Africa For Road Crash Victims brought together governments and stakeholders in the transportation sector in putting resources together to bring about effective traffic management in Africa.

Kayode Oyedare, Edited By Grace Namiji