The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander in Oyo State, Rosemary Alo, has urged local government station officers to be professional and courteous in their interactions with the public.
Alo made the charge during the opening ceremony of the Fourth Quarter Workshop for all Local Government Station Officers, held at the FRSC Conference Hall, Oyo State Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, on Tuesday, 26 November 2024.
The Oyo FRSC boss emphasised the importance of maintaining a positive image of the Corps, stating, “You are the image of the Corps. Hence, you should be professional and explore the principles of public relations in discharging your duties at your respective stations.”
The Department of Local Government Station Officers (RS11.3) organised the workshop to equip local government station officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively engage with the public and promote road safety in Oyo State. The FRSC hopes to improve relationships between officers and the public by emphasising professionalism and courtesy, ultimately contributing to a safer and more harmonious road culture.
The guest speaker, Dapo Falade, Editor/CEO of Newscoven.com, in his paper “Employing The Principles Of Public Relations In Achieving Effective Communication With The Public: FRSC Station Officers’ Perspective,” charged the FRSC leadership to make concerted and conscious efforts to ensure strict enforcement of the Commission’s work ethics and make them binding on its officers and men, especially at the grassroots level.
Falade, who opined that the FRSC has some of the finest officers and men in the world, emphasised that conscious efforts should be made to take the message of road safety to the people at the market squares in the remote villages.
“The FRSC has the Revised Highway Code. Copies of this should be made affordable and available in public spaces at the grassroots level,” Falade said.
“In addition to the regular marshals, it is crucial to encourage other distinguished Nigerians to join the Special Marshal. This can be accomplished by offering these members benefits, even though the organisation is voluntary. The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) Road Safety Club can be further expanded by spreading the message of road safety to young ones at the secondary school level, if not in primary school,” he added.
In her remarks, the Deputy Corps Commander (DCC), Technical Service Department, Titilayo Olayiwola, emphasised the sector’s commitment to training and retraining its officers to align with global best practices and present-day reality.
Olayiwola revealed the sector’s initiatives to promote road safety education throughout the state, visiting markets, clubs, schools, and places of worship.
Meanwhile, the head of the FRSC Department of Local Government Station officers RS11.3 and Chief Route Commander (CRC), Samson Dairo, PhD, emphasised the need for the introduction of technologies to enhance the work of the FRSC officers and protect them from confrontations and aggression from road users.
He also urged the station officers and marshals to be mindful of how they present their cases to better accept and avoid aggressions and attacks from road users.
