The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has urged motorists to have a change of attitude while behind the wheels to avoid crashes during the ember months.
The ember months include September, October, November and December and they are characterised by increased vehicular movements due to associated activities before, during and after the yuletide.
Deputy Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Mccharm Sambo gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
He said that it was high time for all motorists to have a change of attitude to road safety to reduce auto crashes.
“Road safety is everybody’s business. It is a serious business. Road safety has direct impact on our health, economy and our social well-being.
“So, as the ember months are here, the motoring public are advised to take road traffic tips seriously as they travel.
“They should not embark on journeys that are not planned. Some people embark on journeys that are on impulse; so we should not be seen to be embarking on a journey without planning,” Sambo said.
The officer called on drivers to ensure that their vehicles are in good driving conditions before embarking on journeys.
“Driver’s should go by the regulation of traffic rules which would help them reach their destination without any difficulty,” he said.
On the menace of under-aged drivers, Sambo said that the corps’ was doing its best to check the trend.
According to him, FRSC is committed to ensuring a safe motoring public.
“In doing this, we are armed with extant laws and regulations, which include Federal Road Safety Establishment Act 2007 and the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012.
“By the provisions of these statutes, it is clear that the FRSC is committed to ensuring that only persons from 18 years and above are allowed to drive.
“Qualified people should be allowed to drive. And the qualified people are gotten to drive by insisting on the state of their psychology and age limit.
“The minimum age limit has been given and it is the age of 18.
“It said that the minimum age limit for applicants to be cqualified for a driver’s licence is 18.
“So in ensuring that this is complied with, the applicant is required to go to a driving school.
“In the driving school, a form will be filled and that form will entail biometrics of the would-be-driver.
“One of the biometrics is the age. We get to know the real age of an applicant by insisting that the applicant presents his birth certificate.
“The recent policy on birth certificate mandates any person wanting a licence to provide the corps with birth certificate that is issued by a hospital and obtained from the National Population Commission (NPC).
“The NPC has that statutory function to issue birth certificate,” he said.
The officer further said that some of the measures put in place by the corps to check under-aged driving included impounding the vehicle.
According to Sambo, the National Road Traffic Regulation 2012 demands that a driver must be 18 and once he is not 18, and he is found driving, our men on patrol will insist that the vehicle is impounded.
“Once it is impounded the driver is also involved and public education is given to the offender.
“But when the public decides to be recalcitrant, a fine of N2000 is given,” he said.
S/Africa, Nigeria committed to strengthening bilateral ties
The South African Acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Amb. Bobby Moroe, says his country remained committed to strengthening bilateral ties with Nigeria.
Moroe told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja that the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa would remain strong and on course.
The envoy said President Muhammadu Buhari and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, were expected to meet in October to discuss modalities to address attacks on Nigerians living in that country.
Meanwhile, in a statement by Khusela Diko, spokesperson to the President, the South African Government said President Buhari’s state visit would reinforce the bond between both countries.
Diko stated that the visit, next month, would further strengthen their bond and jointly develop responses to challenges affecting people and businesses in South Africa and Nigeria.
According to him, President Cyril Ramaphosa held discussions, on Sept. 6, with Nigeria’s Special Envoy, Amb. Ahmed Abubakar, on violence in South Africa and developments in Nigeria around South African businesses.
“The visit to Pretoria by the Special Envoy followed a recent meeting between Presidents Ramaphosa and Buhari in Yokohama, Japan, on sidelines of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development.
“In their discussion, the Special Envoy conveyed President Buhari’s concern at recent events in South Africa, in context of the strong and cordial relations that characterise the interaction between the two countries.
“President Buhari conveyed his commitment to the values of prosperity and the advancement of Africa that are shared by South Africa and Nigeria.
“Nigeria stands ready to assist South Africa in establishing the root causes of and developing sustainable solutions to the challenges concerned.
“President Buhari has undertaken that where challenges emerge in Nigeria, the Nigerian government will act against lawlessness and the targeting of South African assets in Nigeria,” Diko stated.
According to him, President Ramaphosa also reaffirms South Africa-Nigeria relations to be firm.
Diko added that both partners remained resolute in a shared commitment to building Africa at peace with itself and others.
