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NGOs, CSOs Call for Adoption of Strategies to Address Road Crashes in Nigeria
The Non-Governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Road Safety and Injury Prevention have called for the adoption of sector-based strategies to address the hydra-headed challenges of road crashes, injuries, and deaths in Nigeria.
The Coordinator and leader of the representatives of NGOs/CSOs, Dr. Yusuf John Suberu, expressed serious concerns about how to tackle pre-crash, crash, and post-crash issues in Nigeria and outlined the way forward.
According to him, “The relevant stakeholders of the initiative have been unable to reach the target specified in the first phase of the decade of action, urging the need to galvanize resources together to actualize the action plans for the 2nd decade of action and its implementation.
“In this regard, the outcome of this meeting would lead to the adoption of sector-based strategies to address the hydra-headed challenges of road traffic crashes, injuries, and deaths in Nigeria and the development of a communique that would be used as a roadmap to accomplish the set-out goals of the decade of action for the year 2024.”
It is noteworthy to indicate that there is a high rate of compromise in the operations of some driving schools, as well as the process of the issuance of driver’s licenses, which is largely responsible for the low quality of driver education, increased rate of road safety violations, and carnage on Nigerian roads.
“The high number of vehicles on our roads that are not certified as being roadworthy is also being used for commute everywhere, thereby endangering precious lives and valuable properties.
“The lack of inter-agency cooperation among relevant stakeholders (Government Agencies, NGOs, and CSOs) in the post-crash activities, coupled with inadequate funding by the government, has resulted in the decline of effective collaborative activities to bring about the development of the sector.”
Speaking further, he said there is a need to raise fundamental issues on discrepancies in the recording of data on road accidents or crash fatalities, which have been grossly underreported. This has led to the inability to access requisite funds from international donor agencies by Nigerian government agencies and private organizations for the promotion of safety on Nigerian roads.
He, however, urged the stakeholders to proffer workable solutions towards enhancing the full accomplishment and sustenance of the pillars of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety in Nigeria.
The Nigeria Chapter of the Pan African Students Movement (PSM) has lauded the Ogun State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for its vigorous campaign against drug trafficking and abuse.
In a statement released to the press on yesterday and signed by its National President, Comrade Ambassador Okereafor Bestman, the student body praised the NDLEA under Commander Tijani Rabe for its visible and effective efforts in combating the menace of drugs within the state.
“The Ogun NDLEA command has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to public enlightenment and advocacy through lectures and awareness programmes across schools, religious institutions, communities, and workplaces,” the statement noted.
According to the PSM, the command has conducted over 125 sensitisation initiatives across various institutions, impacting more than 30,000 people.
” These efforts, they said, reflect a commendable dedication to preventive education and community engagement.”
Despite these proactive steps, the NDLEA’s enforcement arm has also remained robust, with more than 220 convictions recorded in 2024 alone.
The PSM described this as an “exceptionally excellent scorecard,” pointing to the agency’s dual approach of education and enforcement.
Speaking on behalf of the national president, PSM’s National Director on Welfare, Comrade Awesu Fawaz, called on other state commands of the NDLEA to emulate Ogun State’s model.
The group also extended appreciation to the First Lady of Ogun State, Her Excellency Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, for her continued support in the fight against drug abuse.
“Her commitment is already yielding positive results among Nigerian students and youths,” the statement read.
The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party (LP) has cautioned Peter Obi, the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and Alex Otti, governor of Abia state, over alleged anti-party activities.
In a statement released after a national executive council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday, the faction cautioned Obi against any actions that could undermine the unity and integrity of the party.
“NEC in session in exercise of its duties, hereby caution the former presidential candidate of our great party not to participate in any action capable of undermining the peace, unity, and integrity of the party as the NEC will not hesitate to issue stiffer penalties if found culpable,” the statement reads.
The party also took aim at Otti, accusing him of engaging in conduct contrary to the interests of the LP, including holding “unauthorised” stakeholder meetings and conducting LG elections using another political party.
According to NEC, Otti has been attempting to factionalise the party by convening what it described as an “illegal NEC” meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
The faction further alleged that the governor is plotting to destabilise the LP before defecting to another party ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
“NEC in session notes the various anti-party activities of Gov. Alex Otti, including calling of unauthorized stakeholders meeting and usurping the powers of NEC,” the statement reads.
“He also conducted LGA elections using another political party. The governor has also intensified his effort to factionalize the party leadership by calling an illegal NEC schedule to hold on Wednesday.
“The leadership of the Labour Party is also aware of the governor’s plot to cripple our party before moving to another political party where he hopes to contest the 2027 governorship election.
“His anti-party activities are unbecoming of a highly respected personality and can no longer be acceptable. NEC stated that it will not hesitate to discipline him in line with Article 19 of the Party’s Constitution.
“NEC in session noted that it would not hesitate to discipline any other erring member who violates the party constitution regardless of how big or powerful such individuals may be.”
On Monday, Obi and Otti announced a stakeholders’ summit set for Wednesday, April 9.
Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for what he described as its complacency in tackling the persistent insecurity in Plateau State.
Dalung expressed his concerns during the Arise TV Morning Show interview on Monday.
His remarks followed the killing of over 50 people in Bokkos Local Government Area of the state over the weekend after gunmen launched fresh attacks on several communities.
Dalung said, “There is nothing like herder-farmer clashes on the Plateau. These are terrorists. They have enclaves. They grab land, wrestle cattle, and displace natives. In the bush, there is a government, and these places are known.”
He argued that the Ministry of Livestock Development, created by the Federal Government, cannot solve the crisis.
“Let us not be hiding about the Ministry of Livestock. Ministry of Livestock cannot even do anything about this problem,” he said.
“If you sum up this, you will come back to this issue of lack of a political will because if the political will to deal with the situation is there, these people will be given their rightful designation.”
He insisted that the attackers were terrorists, saying, “If we must be very honest in dealing with the Plateau situation, first, we will have to stop pretending that it is herder-farmers’ clashes. Not at all. It is terrorism.
“It is genocidal because it has met the international definition of genocide. When a group of people attack another group with the intention of wiping them off the face of the earth, it is genocide. When you employ a policy of starvation and try to use that to wipe out a community or a group of people, it’s genocide. So what is happening is genocidal.
“There was no farm or other animals that were either wrestled by the community or they trespassed into any farmland that resulted in this series of attacks we are hearing.”
He also questioned the readiness of the security agencies to tackle the crisis.
“We couldn’t do anything because there are no access roads. I couldn’t fathom that because in a technologically-driven economy like ours, would the issue be that of access roads? What happened to drones and cameras, other sophisticated gadgets of intelligence gathering?” he said.
“The problem is for the Federal Government to designate these people with their rightful names, consider them criminals, and stop even attaching ethnic identity to them. Yes, predominantly they belong to an ethnic nationality. But I don’t see them as operating in the overall interest of that particular ethnic nationality.
“Rather, they are criminals. And so if we do not treat them as criminals, we will miss the point, and we’ll continue to hold visits to Plateau State by government officials, and they will be on top of the situation while the criminals are on top of the situation.”
Forty persons were killed and about 1,000 displaced in last week’s attack on Hurti, Manguna District of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau.
The Village Head of Hurti, Mr Maren Aradong, said this when the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Samuel Jatau, led other government officials on an assessment visit to the community on Sunday in Jos.
On April 2, gunmen attacked Hurti, Josho, Daffo, and other communities of the locality.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang had described the recent attacks and killings in some parts of the state as a coordinated crime sponsored by conflict merchants, and not farmer-herder clashes.