The Executive Director, Still Waters Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Dr Femi Lanre-Oke, has called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to enforce laws against “one-way” driving in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Lanre-Oke made this call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
He expressed concern over the alarming cases of ‘one way’ (driving against traffic) in the FCT.
“There are many cases of people committing this offence on the airport road, which poses a major threat to road safety.
“The way people drive against traffic is becoming too alarming. I’ve not seen something like this before. I mean, people just can’t drive carelessly in the morning, afternoon, evening and even at night.
“Sadly, they do, every time, some of them will be reversing on the expressway ,” Lanre-Oke said.
Lanre-Oke, who is the Senior Pastor, Jesus Praise Evangelical Ministries International (JPEMI), attributed the problem to a lack of enforcement and public awareness.
He urged FRSC to deploy more personnel to the area, especially during this yuletide season where vehicular movement would be much.
“The FRSC needs to take urgent action to address this issue. They need to deploy more personnel to the area, especially during the yuletide season.
“They also need to increase public enlightenment and enforcement of traffic laws.
“The FRSC should make public announcements on radio, TV, and social media to sensitise the public on the dangers of one-way driving,” the cleric said.
The NGO boss called for more public enlightenment and enforcement of traffic laws, stressing that sanctions should be imposed on offenders to serve as a deterrent.
He said “the FRSC should partner with other law enforcement agencies, such as the police and the military, to ensure effective enforcement of traffic laws.
“They should also impose sanctions on offenders, such as fines, suspension of licenses, or even imprisonment, to serve as a deterrent to others,” Lanre-Oke said.
Lanre-Oke, who is also a visiting professor of the American University of Peace and Governance, (AUPG), USA emphasised that the fight against “one-way” driving required a collective effort from all stakeholders.
This, he said, included the government, the FRSC, the police, the military, and the public.
The cleric also called on the public to cooperate with the FRSC and other law enforcement agencies to ensure that the roads were safe for all users.
Lanre-Oke expressed optimism that with concerted efforts, the menace of one-way driving could be curbed, and road safety in the FCT could be significantly improved.
“The government needs to provide the necessary resources and support to the FRSC and other law enforcement agencies to enable them to effectively enforce traffic laws.
“The public also needs to report any incident of one-way driving to the authorities and also educate their friends and family members on the dangers of one-way driving.
“I am optimistic that with concerted efforts, we can curb the menace of one-way driving and improve road safety in the FCT,” he said.
