Onyebuchi Ezigbo
4 November 2009
Abuja — Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, yesterday said the National Assembly may consider a legislation to grant the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) powers to retain part of its internally generated revenue, to augment funds from statutory allocation.
Ekweremadu said this at the commissioning of three heavy duty tow trucks acquired by FRSC to assist its road safety enforcement drive in the country, saying the issue of funding would form part of the proposed ammendment to the Act establishing the Commission.
He said "in view of the commitment of the FRSC in ensuring prudent use of avialable funds as evidenced by what it has been able to achieve within a short period of time, the Senate will encourage the passage of the Bill that would allow the commission to retain part of its internally generated funds to help its operations."
While inspecting some of the facilities at the headquartersof FRSC, Ekweremadu said it is agonising to reflect on the number of lives lost to road accidents which can be blamed on poor knowledge of driving by most motorists. "Road traffic crashes in developing societies like ours have become a source of global health concern aganist which we must all collectively fight.
"Secondly, road traffic crashes and injuries are embarrassingsource of poverty and under-development, as vast majority of the victims are young men and women of productive age bracket," he said
He expressed dismay at the action of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in erecting speed-breakers at road junctions in the city, suggesting that rather than adopt device that could damage vehicles, they should deploy electronic cameras to track speed limit offenders.
Ekweremadu charged the Commission to rise up to the task of ensuring that sanity returns to our roads by encouraging proper training and re-training of drivers.
FRSC Corp Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka, said the heavy duty tow trucks were acquired to enhance its capacity to clear-up any obstruction on the roads.
He said the trucks will be deployed along Mokwa-Jebba,Abuja-Lokoja and Lagos-Ibadan roads, to take care of perenial road congestions.
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