Governor, State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, on Thursday inaugurated the State Road Safety Advisory Council in the state, to reduce incessant crashes on the roads.
The 10- man Advisory Council has the State Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi, as its Chairman, including the State Commissioners for Works/Transport, Health, Justice, Education, Finance and Enviroment.
Others are the representatives of the State planning commission and the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), while the State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, will serve as Secretary to the Council.
Inaugurating the Advisory Council in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Governor Oyetola said the mandate of the Council was to advise government on how best to ensure sanity on the roads across the State.
The Governor, who spoke through his Deputy, Mr Benedict Alabi, said aside advising government, the Council shall interface with the leadership of the FRSC in the State in carrying out its responsibilities.
He stressed that his administration has continued to give road infrastructure its deserved attention, having rehabilitated and constructed several roads across the State since assumption of office.
Oyetola, who used the occasion to appreciate and commend the leadership of the FRSC, Osun Command for their commitment and excellent service delivery added that the command has contributed immensely to the rating of Osun as the most peaceful amongst the federating units.
Speaking on Covid-19 pandemic as currently ravaging the world over, the Governor said road transportation system remains one of the potent sources of contracting the virus, saying tackling the menace will hugely depend on the observance of its protocols among passengers and road users alike.
He, then tasked the Advisory Council to carry out its duty efficiently and effectively to guarantee safety of lives and property of citizenry in the state.
The Governor said”, We have assembled responsible and competent citizens who have served the State and other organizations meritoriously. We are bringing them to again render top-notch service in another capacity to further guarantee the safety of our people.
“As a State that has given road infrastructure its deserved attention, having rehabilitated and constructed several roads across the State since coming into office, we are resolved to complement this gesture by ensuring sanity on our roads so that our road infrastructure programme will perform its role as a socio-economy booster.
“The lives, health and safety of the people as well as the ability of government to perform its security role are intricately linked to a large extent to the way you perform this role at this critical time.
“I would therefore like to take this opportunity to implore the Road Safety Corps to enforce Covid-19 protocols, especially at this time when the deadly Delta variant has assumed a more virulent and fatal dimension. This is the time to put life above pecuniary considerations”.
The Secretary to the Advisory Council and State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Paul Okpe, had earlier in his address said the initiative would further guarantee safety on the roads and reduce the rate of mishaps on highways across Nigeria.
