THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has not abolished patrol points in the Southeast, as recently reported.
A statement by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr. Olusegun Ogungbemide, on Sunday, in Abuja, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a report in some media platforms insinuating that FRSC has abolished patrol points Ebonyi, Enugu, Imo and Abia.
“The misleading statement was attributed to the address presented by the Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO) of Zone 9 Enugu, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Uche Chukwurah, while on a visit to the Abia Sector Command in Umuahia.”
He clarified that the ZCO’s statement was meant to reaffirm the stand of the national headquarters of the FRSC on the new operational strategy that would de-emphasise static patrol that comes in the form of roadblock.
He said: “It was unfortunately misconstrued to mean abolition of patrol points in the zonal command based on security threats.
“Nothing can be further from the truth, as the statement was not only misleading, but also capable of giving wrong information to unsuspecting members of the public.
“However, the public need to know the intention of the FRSC Management on the ongoing operational rejigging not targeted at the Southeast states of the country, but the nation at large.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the policy of rejigging the operational strategy of the Corps, as conceived by the present Management under Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, is aimed at improving the capacity of the personnel.
“This is to also respond promptly to distress calls through provision of functional operational vehicles, ambulances and motorbikes.
“Also, retraining of personnel for efficient rescue services and increasing the mileage coverage of daily patrol activities for increased presence on parts of the road network.”
Ogungbemide said any meaning read to the original statement attributed to the ZCO of Zone 9 Enugu to create the impression that the FRSC was abolishing or intends to abolish patrol in the Southeast was distorted, misleading and should be disregarded.
He maintained that the FRSC remained the lead agency in road traffic management and safety administration in Nigeria, adding that the FRSC remained one of the security agencies charged with the responsibility of creating safer road environment.
“What we are doing is to work harder to improve on our quality service delivery and support to other security agencies.
“This is through credible processing of database on drivers and vehicles, which has nothing to do with the abolition of patrol points in the Southeast, as alleged,” he said.
