“FRSC OFFICIALS NEED ARMS FOR NIGHT OPERATIONS ONLY” – Corps Oladele

… Says Ogun Roads are safer for motorists
Corps Commander Clement Olafeminiyi Oladele, is the Ogun state Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps. A graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration specialising in Public Finance in 1992, and had earlier in 1988 obtained Bachelor’s

Degree in Administration at the same institution with a second Class Upper Division.
Prior to his appointment as the Sector Commander of Ogun on Thursday 15 September, 2016, Oladele headed the Federal Road Safety Corps’ Planning 

Advisory Unit. As Head of Planning Advisory, Oladele oversees Business Intelligence for the FRSC, and had then as basic responsibility, scanning of the environment for global good practice and the conversion of data into meaningful intelligence upon which the Corps makes evidence based decisions. Oladele while featuring as Guest of Month of February on a popular newspaper whatsapp forum, PLATFORM TIMES and monitored by our correspondent, MICHAEL-AZEEZ OGUNSIJI advocated for the use of fire arms by the Federal Road Safety Corps on night operations for protection from road defaulters and criminals. 

The Kogi -born Federal Road Marshal, however called on private individuals and philanthropists in the society to collaborate with FRSC in provision of rescue operation aids to reduce dead casualties from road crashes. Excerpt. 

Let’s start with the immediate past year (2017). On a scale of 1-10, to what extent would you say Ogun State Road users understood and obeyed traffic rules?

OLADELE: I don’t think it is fair to make me do that rating. I thought we serve the people and they should rate our performance.  But on a personal note, I will classify them into two groups. The first is about 8/10 while the second group is about 4/10. 
[cuts in]….  I mean the people. Not your men,  Drivers and Road Users. 

To what extent have they cooperated with you in obeying the traffic rules… Do they understand it?

OLADELE: My answer above suffices. Your  question is two fold. Understand and obey. The first group is 8/10, they comprise the majority of the motorists here. They also obey traffic rules. albeit occasionally they may just forget to comply. For example, they may not remember to use the seat belt inside the town, which they could take to the highway. These people consist of about 90 percent of the motorists. But the remaining 10% rates 4/10. They are those posing risks not only to themselves but to other road users they share the road with. 

Let’s talk about the second group. Who are they? And why have you rated them below average?

OLADELE: They are those that disregards every societal rules, including traffic rules. They are those that drive recklessly under the illusion that they are immune  from road crashes. They also indulge in the use of drugs and other illicit substances while driving. They are dangerous,  even to themselves on the highway. 

These 90% people that flout the traffic rules , how have you been dealing with them sir?

OLADELE: No. 90% does not flout traffic rules. I said 10% rank 4/10. They are the ones which makes FRSC increases highway  surveillance to enable us stop them from crashing into innocent, law abiding motorists. We apprehend them,  default them, issue them citation or sometimes take them before magistrates especially during mobile court to get them disciplined for bad behaviour on the highway. 

As a matter of public interest, kindly use this medium to differentiate between road ACCIDENT and road CRASHES. 

OLADELE: Accidents are unplanned,  which sometimes you may not be able to explain how  it happened, like driving at regulated speed on an expressway and a little boy suddenly crosses the road in a place that is not a school or built up area. Thus an accident is unplanned and not expected. But a crash is  planned and expected, caused by negligence. For instance, driving above stipulated speed, drunk and with worn out tyres or driving against traffic. 

Sir, which one common in Ogun State? 
OLADELE: Crashes is very high in Ogun State, it might not be too correct, as our statistics does not support that. Despite the high Motorisation here in Ogun State, compare with other states, we are not the most dangerous. I know  before I arrived last year,  Ogun state ranked within the ten most dangerous highways in Nigeria.  In fact in 2015 at fatality rate or deaths from crashes at 307, Ogun ranked no 6 nationwide. But with our Ogun State  road safety strategy (2017-2030),  we reduced the fatality in 2016 to 270 making us rank no 12 nationwide . Meaning technically Ogun State highways have been removed from the list of the ten most dangerous highways in Nigeria. Last year 2017, fatality reduced to 210. The goal is to make highways in Ogun State not only the safest in Nigeria but the safest highways in the whole of West Africa.

The statutory functions of FRSC include: Making the highways safe for motorists and other road users as well as checking road worthiness of vehicles, recommending works and infrastructures to eliminate or minimize accidents on the highways and educating motorists and members of the public on the importance of road discipline , In the last 30 years, how far has the Corps ensured its mandate?  
OLADELE: The Corps is a performance based organisation. We elected,  albeit a public institution to do ISO 9001 QMS certification which enables us open up our internal processes for a third party evaluation, for continual impoundment. Thus FRSC Nigeria is the only law enforcement agency in Africa with ISO 9001 QMS certification. Realising this, we redefined the FRSC into  ” who are we,  what do we do,  how do we do it and how best can we do it”.  With this we took our mandates to deliver them all, which makes it very easy to rate the FRSC. Essentially we are to prevent crashes,  where we failed to prevent a crash,  we should not allow death by removing the injured from crash scene for proper medication. If in the course of the crash that road is blocked we remove promptly the obstruction. For instance in Ogun State last  year alone 1.8 million passengers travelled on Ogun highways and 210 people died. This meant just because there is  FRSC over 99% of travellers in Ogun State arrived their destinations safely as less than 1% of them only died. We are not even satisfied with this, we want zero death.  On prompt removal of obstructions,  this is priotized especially on the Lagos – Ibadan corridor, which in any ten minutes delay can cause us about one hour to  completely restore traffic. The strategy therefore is do not allow any obstruction. We constantly recommend at least every quarter observations from our road audit and result of  accident investigation which the FERMA,  Federal Ministry of Power Works and Housing and the state government consider along other factors in Road rehabilitation. 

How often do you sensitise motorists on safe driving especially members of Transport unions? 

OLADELE: Sensitisation of motorists is routine. Apart from motor Park checks to talk to drivers and their passengers, we conduct PE for drivers apprehended before we release them. We use the social media to communicate highway safety.  The traditional  Mass Media have been very useful in assisting us reach the motorists and general public for  PE.  In fact the whole gamut of FRSC operations is to inform and educate motorists,  drivers and the general public on proper use of the highway . However where recalcitrant drivers flout traffic rules we sanction. 

The people complaints over the excesses of your men is becoming loud, what are the checkmating mechanisms put in place and how do you get feed backs?

OLADELE: We have a SERVICOM desk that receive and treat daily public complaints. My email is available for complaint oc. oladele@frsc.gov.ng. Those apprehended undergo administrative disciplinary process and those found wanting are meted with various sanctions, including outright dismissal.  The only challenge we face  is that some people who complained refuse to substantiate their claims to aid disciplinary measures. In fact, we have even commenced disciplinary actions, these complainant go behind to plead for leniency for defaulted personnel. Claiming they don’t want to be responsible for sacking such defaulted personnel.

What are those areas of your responsibility, that you feel the cooperation of the public would be needed to improve service delivery of the FRSC in Ogun State?

OLADELE: Almost every  where. Road Safety is multi dimensional. The public do not need to give us money, they can just procure equipment for rescue. They can also assist us put on their payroll local divers to enable us mobilise them for rescue where the victims fall inside the river. Provision of trauma drugs to our road side accident clinics is also a good support. Also good is provision of standard road signs. We also want stakeholders provide educational materials to enable us teach road safety to school children, including organising road safety competition especially quiz to increase their road safety education,  to make them better drivers when grown up.  We also need media airtime dedicated to teaching the public proper use of the highway. No support is too little or too much. In my experience in highway safety,  I have seen strong,  rich and powerful people confused, helpless,  and traumatised due to traffic crash. Road Traffic Crashes are levelers and no respecter of persons,  not even road safety officials on rescue operations. Therefore any support to promote highway safety is significant. 

What is your horrible experience on the job? 

OLADELE: The most horrible is to break the news of the demise of a crash victim to their loved ones. We have a process,  we can never say the victim died. We do not want secondary casualty. We request to speak to either the spouse or boss to inform them of such fatal crash. Like I always say, whenever you say goodbye to your loved ones, they expect a call from you. In any case a call must be made, but who made the call is important. Where you chose not to call your loved one after your trip due to carelessness or recklessness, the FRSC would be constrained to make the call. We at FRSC do not always want to make such calls. Some crashes have worried me in Ogun State. Few samples was the  14 January, 2017 where a couple slipped into Omu river by area J4 on Ore –  Ijebu Ode highway. Why it was painful was that, even after mobilising JBN crane to remove the trapped couple from the river,  we could not succeed as the local divers frustrated our desire to promptly bring out the couple from the river. Even my plea that the victim could even be people who may be privileged to employ the local divers in gainful employment. The action led us calling the rescue till the next day. After bringing out the couple from the river the medical doctor said they just died not too long. Meaning if the divers, which we do not yet have in FRSC,  had remained in the river till we bring the victim out of the river,  they might not have died. While trying to locate the victim family,  the first alert received from the late  couple phone, we recovered was N17 million naira. I then told the local divers I told you,  though we did not know the victims, but if they had saved them,  definitely they might have been positioned to employ some of the local divers. 
Another disturbing crash was also on the ijebu ode road  last month where we lost five Libyan returnees,  travelling from Benin to Lagos. A truck driving against traffic at about 2230 hrs colluded against their bus. Some of those who survived told us they were going to Synagogue Church in Lagos.  The FRSC has established a Command Outpost to stem the occurrence of driving against traffic along that J3 and J4 axis of Ore –  Ijebu Ode corridor.  The incident  has abated.  
There was another crash at Alapako /Ogunmakin opposite Four square church along the Lagos – Ibadan corridor, where a truck conveying a container locked 7 passengers inside the container and drove dangerously crashing into a fuel laden tanker around the 5km stretch of road between sancrete and Fidiwo where RCC constructing the road made a diversion to enable them complete the weakened bridges on that section of the road. There are other crashes but those mentioned above Stands out amongst disturbing crashes I witnessed since I assumed duties in Ogun State. 

Many have been calling for the Corps to be armed. Would you subscribe that the Constitution should be amended to accommodate this? 

OLADELE: I think arming the FRSC is a government decision. I am not sure the FRSC merely wants to use fire arms for patrols,  except for protection during night operations. The country’s ultra modern licensing architecture is multi million naira investment. This is what makes it possible for holders of Nigeria drivers license, through reciprocity,  allowed to drive with this drivers license in Europe and several states in the US. This is also the facility that enables holder of valid Nigeria drivers license renew such in any part of the world, without coming to Drivers License Center,  provided you have access to the  Internet and Web enabled payment.  This infrastructure requires protection. Other sister security agencies do support, but due to ongoing security challenges, they too are constrained.

Your parting words to Ogun road users? 

OLADELE: I thank the motoring public for good behaviour on the road. There are a few others that are however  dangerous. We all have responsibility to stop them from hurting or even maiming us by their bad behaviour on the highway.  Let’s stop them before they stop us. We all have responsibility to highway safety. Call FRSC toll free number 122 to report any road obstruction,  road crash or any dangerous driver you come across on the highway. I also thank Nigerians for believing in FRSC in the last 30 years.  Your prayers and support have sustained us.  We even required closer collaboration and prayers to deliver efficiently on our core mandates. I commend the press for their support.