The Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri has assured the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of his ministry’s partnership in the campaign for safer road environment. The Minister stated this while receiving the Corps Marshal of FRSC,  Shehu Mohammed who paid him a courtesy visit in his office on Monday 14 October  2024.

While congratulating the Corps Marshal on his well deserved appointment, the Minister expressed optimism that with the inauguration of the National Road Safety Strategy by the Vice President last week, stakeholders would work harmoniously to ensure safety on the nation’s highways. He commended the FRSC for its commitment to road safety as evidenced by the successes recorded in the areas of Road Transport Safety Standardization Scheme, Drivers certification  and other public enlightenment programs that have led to drastic reduction in the rate of road traffic crashes.

The Minister however, expressed concerns with frequent cases of crashes involving petroleum tankers some of which resulted in fire incidents with great loses to lives and property. He further stressed that even as the Ministry would have preferred that the use of pipelines as veritable means of transporting the petroleum products, the current hazards as well as the cost implications involved in replacing the pipes have made that impracticable at the moment.  He therefore solicited the support of the FRSC to properly streamline the activities of drivers at the depots with a view to ensuring that only tankers that meet the minimum safety standards load the petroleum products from such facilities.

The Minister expressed the willingness of the Ministry to support the FRSC with logistics and training to enhance the capacity and efficiency of its personnel in road traffic management.

Earlier in his remarks, the Corps Marshal commended the Minister for the positive reforms being embarked upon in petroleum industry in Nigeria by the current leadership. He noted the existing peace and harmony in the Niger Delta areas and requested for collaboration for sustained peace and development in the oil industry.

The Corps disclosed that as part of the FRSC’s commitment to safety in movement of petroleum products, personnel of the Corps are being deployed to major depots across the country to ensure compliance to safety rules and regulations with particular reference with the policy on safe to load. He requested the Minister to assist the Corps with some logistics including patrol vehicles and ambulance for enhanced road surveillance and prompt response to distress calls.

The meeting which had in attendance some Directors of the Ministry of petroleum also has some principal officers of the FRSC in attendance with both sides agreeing on the need to sustain the partnership for  safety on the nation’s highways and stability in the transportation of the petroleum products.

Olusegun Ogungbemide, mni, FISPON, anipr

Assist Corps Marshal

Corps Public Education Officer