Report any personnel who ask for bribe on duty, FRSC Commander tells motorists

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Abia State Command, Mr Paul Ugwu, has warned motorists against offering bribes or any form of financial inducement to road safety officials on the road.

Mr Ugwu who gave the warning in an interview with Vanguard on the 2021 World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Victims/ Africa Road Safety Day, vowed to deal with any FRSC personnel engaging in any misconduct while on duty.

The Sector Commander who said that the current management of the Corps had zero tolerance for corruption, urged members of the public to report any erring personnel through the “flagitapp” for prompt disciplinary action.

His words:”Stop offering bribes to our men. The person that gives is as guilty as the one that receives.

” Make sure you have those documents that will make you think of inducing our men on duty. Don’t give bribe and report anyone asking you for bribe”.

He disclosed that the Corps was collaborating with the Department of State Services DSS and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC to ensure any erring official was sanctioned.

The Sector Commander further explained that contrary to misconceptions in some quarters, officials of the corps are not restricted but free to operate on all roads.

He said that personnel of the Corps had the constitutional mandate to ensure compliance with traffic regulations on all public roads in the country.

According to him, Section 15 of the Federal Road Safety Corps Act, 2007, empowers road safety officials to operate on all roads whether they are federal or state roads.

On the allegation that some of the FRSC officials usually stay close to the police or military roadblocks as a cover to extort money from motorists, the Sector Commander said that extortion was not the objective of staying near security checkpoints.

He said that the safety of his men was the reason behind the idea of staying near such security posts and not that road safety officials are working in cahoot with security agents to extort motorists.

” They stay where they can easily get assistance if they are attacked either by the mob or hit-and-run drivers.

The Sector Commander who gave the theme of this year’s event as ‘Act for Low Speed”, said a lot of activities including public enlightenment, advocacy visits to motor parks and schools had been lined up for the exercise.

Mr Ugwu advised motorists against overspeeding especially as the Yuletide approaches, regretting that overspeeding accounts for so many roads crash in the country.

He said that wives of the FRSC officials would also visit some hospitals to make donations to traffic accident victims.

According to him, the one-week event will be rounded off with a church service on November 21.