By Paschal Emeka, Abuja The Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative, APRI, a road traffic safety focused group has urged state governors to ensure effective road traffic safety policing, especially intra states roads across the country.
The group, in a statement issued and signed by the Executive Director of the Organization, Prince Fidelis Nnadi expressed concern over high rate of road traffic accidents with the attendant loss of lives and property on the roads and called for urgent attention by State governors towards mitigating the carnage.
Nnadi also advised state governors to strengthen the capacity of their various road traffic/Vehicle Inspection agencies for effective road patrol and implementation of road traffic regulations.
“We cannot fold our hands and watch the brutal killing of innocent vehicle occupants caused by poor and abysmal road traffic regulations. The state governments should ensure effective implementation and enforcement of road traffic rules, Nnadi said.
Similarly, the group wants governments at all levels to declare state of emergence on road repairs, re-constructions and constructions stressing that with good road network, road crashes can be reduced maximally while advocating that the officers of State/FCT road traffic agencies deserve to be professionally trained to handle the increasing rate of road crashes on both Federal and State roads.
While commending the Governors of Anambra, Lagos, Cross River States, including the Hon. Minister of FCT for being alert and responding to capacity building for their road traffic and Vehicle Inspection agencies, Nnadi advised other States to emulate them and equip their respective agencies for optimum performance.