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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the Federal Government to reinforce the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as a law enforcement agency to enhance its responsibilities, rather than merge it with other agencies.
The Corps was established in 1988 during the administration of former head of state Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. The Federal Government has however yet to make public such intentions to merge the FRSC.
Obasanjo, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Friday, recalled how he resisted temptations to merge the FRSC with other organisations while in office between 1999 and 2007.
The former president who played host to the Corps delegation, led by Deputy Corp Marshall, Susan Akenge in his Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Penthouse residence, commended the organisation for maintaining sanity on the country’s roads despite the increasing population and the economy.
“One thing you have to accept is that with the growing population, which is increasing on a daily basis or even on an hourly basis, you manage both the driver (who may not be in the best frame of mind when going out from home in the morning) and the car, which may not be in the best condition that a car should be,” Obasanjo said.
“So, I must acknowledge that you have reasonably been doing well. I must therefore say that you have been beneficial to us all.
“When I was in government, I resisted that temptation to merge you with other agencies and I dont know if others will still come and merge you with others, but I hope they will not, because your responsibility is getting larger and larger by the day.
“Rather than merge you, they should ensure to continue to enhance your professional capacity in order to bring the best out of what you are doing now.”
FRSC Appreciates Obasanjo
Earlier, Akenge said the courtesy visit was accompanied by a message of appreciation from the Corps headquarters for the tremendous support the former president gave for the survival of the organisation.
“On behalf of the headquarters of the FRSC, the zonal headquarters and the Special Marshal, I have come to appreciate you and thank you, sir. It is our prayer that God will grant you longer life to reap the fruit of your labour, ” she said.
Others on the entourage were the Assistant Corps Marsal, Kayode Olagunju; Assistant Corps Marshal, Peter Kibo; Assistant Corps Marshal, Ahmed Umar (Corps Commander, Ogun State Sector Commander); and Segun Ogungbemide (Corps Commander, Lagos State Sector Commander).
Others were Comfort ASON, Corps commander (FRSC HQ special Marshal); John Ugbebor, National Coordinator Special Marshal; Sola Olojede, Zonal Coordinator, Special Marshal; and Solomon Adeniyi (Ogun State Coordinator, Special Marshal).
