Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, has inaugurated the National Road Safety Advisory Council.
The advisory council created to offer advice to the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) on what should be done to reduce carnage on Nigerian roads consists of six state governors drawn from each geopolitical zones of the country; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal and some ministers.
The council’s inauguration took place on Thursday at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa in Abuja, shortly before the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting was held.
Statistics have indicated that over 4,000 lives were lost through road crashes in the country in 2012.
Such startling statistics have jolted the United Nations to declare the period 2011-2020 a decade of action for road safety.
The governors are: Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos (southwest), Willie Obiano of Anambra (southeast); Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta (south-south) Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara (north-central), Ibrahim Dankwabo of Gombe (northeast) and Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna (northwest).
The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, explained that the council would be guided by the mandate for every member nation of the United Nations to put adequate measures in addressing the scourge of road accident by the year 2020.
Senator Udoma urged State governors to buy in and ensure adequate budgetary provision for maintenance of roads in their respective states.
The FRSC Corp Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, pointed out some of the challenges faced in tackling road accidents across the country.
He also highlighted some of the duties of the advisory council in order to achieve the FRSC’s vision of reducing road traffic fatalities by 35% by 2018.
