Leadership (Abuja)
Uzochukwu Obiekwe
10 October 2008
Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, has decried the policy of importation of second hand vehicles popularly called 'tokunbo" into Nigeria, which has contributed immensely to the rate of accidents in Nigeria .
Chidoka made the statement when the Director-General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Idi Faruk, paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja .
According to the Corps Marshal, " Nigeria is relatively a poor country in terms of per capita income. So you find out that tokunbo vehicles of more than 25 years are still plying our roads.
"Yesterday, the customs announced that we can import vehicles of 10 years old into Nigeria . That means that all vehicles that have failed safety standards, emission test, vehicles that are no longer allowed in Europe will be heading to Nigeria ", he added.
Chidoka maintained that the much talked about rule of law must first be observed on the roads by all road users, adding that any visitor to Nigeria would definitely be wondering whether there is rule of law or not, in view of the rate of indiscipline and disorderliness witnessed on our roads daily.
His words: "the most visible expression of the rule of law or a rule-driven society is first manifested on the roads, because that is the first impression any visitor to Nigeria will have.
"You can imagine landing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport , Lagos and driving out to Oshodi. Once you hit that junction, there is nothing anybody will tell you about the rule of law in Nigeria that you will listen to because you are meeting the country at the most primitive level of sheer disregard for human lives and the pattern of indiscipline that occur on our roads."
The FRSC boss expressed his intention to collaborate with NOA in the task of educating and stopping the States and Local Governments from issuing vehicle worthiness certificates to commercial drivers in Nigeria , stating that it was a clear violation of National Road Traffic Rules and Regulations.
Earlier, the director general of NOA, said the agency had undertaken eye and blood pressure tests for drivers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as a way of preventing accident, adding that the gesture would be extended to the drivers in the 36 States of the Federation.
He pledged to collaborate with the Commission in the task of enlightening and educating the road users on the need for them to adhere to traffic rules and regulations.
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I don't think automobile accident in Nigeria is as a result of the age of the cars. The major course is as a result of bad roads. People are still driving 1989, 1990 vehicle in europe. If there is no tokunbo in Nigeria, how many DGs not to talk of ordinary citizens can buy a brand new vehicle without stealing government money. Let the government give us a good and standard road, and developa better maintance policy.