IFEANYI EZUGWU, ENUGU.
Perturbed by the upward spiral in the rate of accidents on Nigeria roads,
the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, has carried its message of safety on Nigeria roads to the churches in Enugu.
The South-East zonal commanding officer of the commission, Assistant Corps Commander Chike Nwaka who led other officers of the commission to the Christ Redemption Church, Anglican Communion, Enugu, urged Nigerians to change their attitudes and life styles.
The visit was part of the activities to mark the 2013 Africa Road Safety Day/World Day for Remembrance of Road Traffic Crash Victims”.
The 5-day event, which kicked off on the 14th of November throughout the country, had earlier on Saturday witnessed “early morning walk” led by Hon. Chuka Utazi, Enugu State commissioner for transport.
Nwaka, who stood in for the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka, was accompanied by the Enugu sector commander of the commission, Corps Commander Funmibi Olawoyin, the Enugu State Commissioner for Transport, Chuka Utazi, among others.
He dismissed popular notion that road traffic crashes were accidents, stressing that they were more often than not human induced.
Lamenting the number of deaths and avoidable casualties caused by road traffic crashes, Nwaka called for a collaborative effort among all Nigerians.
According to him, “over 200 people die daily in Nigeria due to road traffic crashes; it has so much affected the society that if I ask if there is any of us who has not directly or indirectly, suffered the scourge of road traffic crashes, there will be no such person.
“However, we have come to tell us that we can stop this scourge through a life of holiness, we can actually ameliorate this problem”.
“Road traffic crash is not something that happen in form of accident, that is just the truth, when a man knows that he has worn out tired and gets into the road what does he expect? When you drink and start driving what are you inviting? When you over speed, but you know you should not over speed, what are you expecting?”, he queried.
He continued that “if you are the one creating it, it is no longer accident, when you know that these things can cause death on the highway but you go on and do them, it is no longer accident; so what we are saying is that we are as a church can stop this menace, by living life of holiness, applying what we learn in the church.
“The road is a place where every habit you have comes to the open. The simple thing they teach us in the church, love your neighbor as you love yourself, it is important, if we demonstrate it on the highway, crashes will reduce. If somebody pushes you to the gutter and you come out safely, you don’t have to pursue the person and may be overtake him any how, and block the vehicle.
“It is good we pray but we must work and pray, if we do the right thing and pray God will hear us. Let us do what is right to safeguard our roads”.
The South-East zonal commanding officer of the commission, Assistant Corps Commander Chike Nwaka who led other officers of the commission to the Christ Redemption Church, Anglican Communion, Enugu, urged Nigerians to change their attitudes and life styles.
The visit was part of the activities to mark the 2013 Africa Road Safety Day/World Day for Remembrance of Road Traffic Crash Victims”.
The 5-day event, which kicked off on the 14th of November throughout the country, had earlier on Saturday witnessed “early morning walk” led by Hon. Chuka Utazi, Enugu State commissioner for transport.
Nwaka, who stood in for the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka, was accompanied by the Enugu sector commander of the commission, Corps Commander Funmibi Olawoyin, the Enugu State Commissioner for Transport, Chuka Utazi, among others.
He dismissed popular notion that road traffic crashes were accidents, stressing that they were more often than not human induced.
Lamenting the number of deaths and avoidable casualties caused by road traffic crashes, Nwaka called for a collaborative effort among all Nigerians.
According to him, “over 200 people die daily in Nigeria due to road traffic crashes; it has so much affected the society that if I ask if there is any of us who has not directly or indirectly, suffered the scourge of road traffic crashes, there will be no such person.
“However, we have come to tell us that we can stop this scourge through a life of holiness, we can actually ameliorate this problem”.
“Road traffic crash is not something that happen in form of accident, that is just the truth, when a man knows that he has worn out tired and gets into the road what does he expect? When you drink and start driving what are you inviting? When you over speed, but you know you should not over speed, what are you expecting?”, he queried.
He continued that “if you are the one creating it, it is no longer accident, when you know that these things can cause death on the highway but you go on and do them, it is no longer accident; so what we are saying is that we are as a church can stop this menace, by living life of holiness, applying what we learn in the church.
“The road is a place where every habit you have comes to the open. The simple thing they teach us in the church, love your neighbor as you love yourself, it is important, if we demonstrate it on the highway, crashes will reduce. If somebody pushes you to the gutter and you come out safely, you don’t have to pursue the person and may be overtake him any how, and block the vehicle.
“It is good we pray but we must work and pray, if we do the right thing and pray God will hear us. Let us do what is right to safeguard our roads”.
