The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Boboye Oyeyemi has congratulated staff and stakeholders of the FRSC on the recent re-certification of the Corps by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Quality Management System Certification (ISO 9001:2008), saying the revalidation is the outcome of the collective contributions of all the staff. He stated this today while declaring open a three day capacity development workshop for the Heads of Zonal and Sector Operations at the FRSC Academy Udi, Enugu state.
According to Bisi Kazeem, Head Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC in a press release, Oyeyemi says gabymethe re-certification which came after a painstaking review of the Corps’ three years activities was an indication that FRSC is on course. He recalled that the Corps was first certified by SON in March 2013, and its re-certification after three years of sustained activities was an indication that staff have shown commitment to the global standards in road safety management and administration, urging them not to rest on their oars.
“The re-certification is an evidence of our collective resolve to take FRSC to greater heights, and we must sustain the tempo of the activities,” he stated.
On the workshop, the Corps Marshal stressed that it is a Management policy aimed at ensuring effective development of the capacity of the staff, saying those holding strategic positions at the field commands need to have their operational, administrative and managerial capabilities improved upon for greater efficiency in the system. He further stated that in line with the policy, the Corps had organised series of workshops, conferences and stakeholders’ forums which provided platforms for staff and relevant stakeholders to share ideas, get update information on current policy matters on road safety and forge ahead with common goal.
“We are no doubt convinced that these efforts are yielding positive results, as FRSC has not been found wanting in any of its statutory responsibilities, despite the enormous challenges that the nation faces in the area of traffic management,” he stated. While expressing satisfaction with the impact which the past workshops have on the staff, the Corps Marshal noted that such programmes also afforded participants opportunity to share ideas, compare notes and build the spirit of unity. “I have no doubt that the lessons learnt in the course of the programmes have impacted positively on the performances of the officers,” he added.
Oyeyemi further observed that Management took the decision to bring the heads of operations at the zonal and sector levels together this time to provide them common platform to brainstorm on some of the current operational challenges facing the Corps and deliberate on how to overcome them in order for the Corps to contribute meaningfully to the success of the present administration in its policy on safety and security of lives of the citizens.
The Corps Marshal stressed that in view of the need for inputs and direction of the FRSC in some socio-economic developments going on in the country, there is the need for the staff to constantly be on the alert to enunciate appropriate policies and programmes that could assist government in addressing the challenges. “This is especially so, as the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR has continued to demonstrate total support for the success of the FRSC,” he stated.
“We must reciprocate these kind gestures of Mr President by showing our capability and willingness to support his socio-economic programmes aimed at changing the lives of the people of Nigeria for better,” he further stated.
On issues of tyre usage in the country, the Corps Marshal expressed dismay at the level of people’s ignorance on tyre usage including their types, standards, gauze levels and expiration dates, saying most of the fatal crashes recorded in the country since this year were attributed to tyre blowout arising from expired tyres. He disclosed that in the efforts to address the menace, FRSC has engaged in advocacy programmes with relevant stakeholders, culminating in the last stakeholders’ forum on tyres held on Monday at Abuja. “In response to the menace which tyre-induced crashes have brought on the nation, we convened a stakeholders’ forum on tyres at Abuja, where various road safety practitioners, transport managers, union leaders and other stakeholders in public and private sectors of the economy converged to deliberate on the challenges,” he stated.
“At the end of the programme, critical resolutions that could support our search for lasting solutions to the menace of tyre blowout were taken. I assure you that Management is committed to the full implementation of the resolutions in collaboration with the relevant stakeholders in our collective determination to restore sanity on our roads,” Oyeyemi stated.
On sustaining collaboration with relevant stakeholders, the Corps Marshal urged the heads of operations to develop the spirit of consultation in their operational strategies with a view to achieving cohesion in the Corps’ policies and prohrammes, noting that with the experiences gathered from collaborative initiatives, it has become obvious that involvement of relevant stakeholders assist greatly in building consensus on operational matters and enhance sense of responsibility and personal commitment which are necessary for achieving positive results.
The Corps Marshal urged the participants to make the best use of the opportunity provided by the workshop to learn new methods of doing things and contribute their own quota to the policy development of the Corps. “You should endeavour to share experiences with your colleagues and make useful inputs to the Corps’ policies in our march towards attaining global best practice in road safety management and administration in the country,” Oyeyemi stated.
The three-day capacity development workshop is being attended by Zonal Heads of Operations (ZHOOPS) from the 12 Zonal Command Headquarters and Sector Heads of Operations (SHOOPS) from the 36 states of the Federation with resource persons drawn from within and outside the FRSC.
