The Governor of Oyo state, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has commissioned the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) office complex for Oyo State Sector Command, Ibadan, with a pledge to support the Corps to attain the target of 50% crash reduction by 2020 in line with the United Nations projection.

Represented by the Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Alake Adeyemo, Governor Ajimobi charged the staff of FRSC Oyo State Sector Command to make the best use of the new facilities for enhanced productivity and bring traffic situations in the state under firm control.

He thanked the Federal Government for considering the State in its policy of providing permanent office structures for the FRSC, promising that as one of the beneficiaries, the State government will play its own part by reciprocating the gesture towards ensuring crash-free environment not only in Oyo state, but the country at large. According to Governor Ajimobi, Oyo state has been paying attention to issues of road safety, being the cradle of road safety development in Nigeria and gave assurances that he will remain committed to the ideals of safer road environment.

Senator Ajimobi commended the Management of the FRSC for its untiring commitment to issues of road safety, noting that under the current leadership of Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, the nation has continued to witness aggressiveness and innovation in its pursuit of road safety campaigns. He further noted that his administration appreciates the commitment of the Corps in the campaigns against the menace of road traffic crashes, assuring that he would do everything possible to support it to succeed.

He commended the FRSC for its adoption of technology in crash management initiatives, stressing that his administration will continue to involve members of the Corps in the state in traffic management programmes as well as security related activities towards ensuring stability and peaceful coexistence of people of the state.

In his welcome remarks, the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi paid glowing tribute to the Federal Government for demonstrating goodwill towards the FRSC as evidenced by the successes recorded in the policy of constructing permanent office structures for the Corps across the country. He disclosed that the commissioning of Oyo State office complex brought to seven, the numbers of office accommodation that had been provided under his Management across the country. He further noted that three more complexes are in advanced stages of competition across the country, while all the six geopolitical zones of the country are beneficiaries of the project.

Corps Marshal Oyeyemi particularly expressed appreciation to the Oyo State for serving as the cradle of road safety in Nigeria, stating that the construction of the 30 rooms edifice in the state was in line with his Management’s vision of providing permanent office structures for FRSC in the States. He added that the gesture represents an acknowledgment of the special status of Oyo state as the home of road safety. He promised to sustain the policy which he said, was informed by constant harassments from landlords as well as inconveniences that the Corps was being subjected to under the conditions of rented property.

Oyeyemi expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for supporting the Corps with provisions of logistics and enabling environment, pledging to work harder to reciprocate the gestures. He restated the commitment of the FRSC to addressing the perennial traffic menace of the country during ember months this year especially with the support of the government and relevant stakeholders.

He expressed optimism that more logistics would come from the Federal Government before the end of the year, promising that the Sector command will benefit from the provision. While appreciating the Oyo State Government for providing the land on which the office complex was built, the Corps Marshal appealed for sustained support from the State government in the areas of furnishing and provision of more facilities for enhanced road safety management.

The Chairman of the FRSC Board, Mallam Bukhari Bello in his remarks also thanked the Oyo State Government for its consistent support for the FRSC and the strategic position of the state for serving as the cradle of road safety in Nigeria.

He pledged that the Corps would not fail to play its role in ensuring safer road environment in the country through commitment to road safety campaign. Mallam Bukhari Bello further assured that staff of the command would reciprocate the gestures of the State Government by remaining committed to the ideals of  safer road environment.

The commissioning was witnessed by some notable personalities in the state including members of Oyo State Executive Council. Also in attendance were the representative of the OluIbadan of Ibadan and members of the Special Marshals in the state. Others were transport unions and relevant road safety stakeholders, while Road Safety Officers Wives Association (ROSOWA) was led by its President, Mrs Yemisi Oyeyemi.