Following the successful completion of nearly three months’ training of more than 200 persons by personnel of the Nigerian Army, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs), to be recruited as Traffic Enforcement Bureau Cadets, the Enugu State Ministry of Transport has announced Saturday, July 22, 2017, as the date for the passing-out parade of for the Cadets in the Course 1.
It will be recalled that the Enugu State Ministry of Transport (MOT) Traffic Enforcement Bureau was established by the past administration in 2004, through the Road Traffic Law, S.86 CAP 137, Vol. VI Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria, 2004 Enugu State Road Traffic (Approved Traffic Offences, Penalties and Fine) and has been in operation since then.
Announcing the passing out parade date, the Commissioner for Transport, Hon. Vitus Okechi said that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi; Heads of all the Security Agencies in the state; all the Transport Stakeholders in the state, namely: the National Union of Road Transport Workers, RETAN, Tricycle Association, LUBAN, AMTO, IPMAN, NUPENG, etc; Religious leaders; Traditional Rulers; all Market Traders Associations; Public Office holders, among others, are expected to grace the occasion.
Hon. Okechi, noted that the state government embarked on the intensive training of the Cadets to ensure a decent, civilized and effective management of traffic rules and regulations in the state, which every unbiased resident of the state will be satisfied with.
He disclosed the Cadets have been properly trained physically and theoretically by the relevant government agencies to discharge their duties professionally, stressing that the Bureau is now repositioned to carry out an effective campaign that would guarantee a refined and robust traffic management system to ensure safe transportation in the state as well as reduce traffic congestion being experienced in some areas.
Mr. Okechi added that it was as a result of public outcry, the state Executive Council through the intervention of the governor, suspended the activities of the traffic enforcement officials under the Ministry of Transport and directed the Ministry to organize proper training for the officials to enable them discharge their functions professionally and to the satisfaction of the public.
He explained that the first session of the training, which was physical and medical fitness, was handled by personnel of the Nigerian Army, while the second session of lecture series was undertaken by personnel of Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs).
The Commissioner had during the commencement of the training exercise in May, stated that the programme became imperative in view of the need to restore traffic discipline among road users within and outside Enugu metropolis.
He regretted that most motorists have taken advantage of the ban on the operation of the traffic enforcement personnel, to abuse traffic rules and regulations in the state.
According to him, “we, as a responsible government, regret the untoward act of flagrant abuse of traffic rules and regulations by road users in Enugu State and the serious threat it has posed to security of lives and property of the people. Hence, we have embarked on this training programme to restore traffic discipline and reduce road accidents as well as avoid traffic obstruction in the state”.
A visit to the training ground today at the popular Michael Okpara Square, Enugu, showed that the Cadets have assimilated all they were thought and in high spirit looking forward to the passing out parade ceremony on Saturday.
It would also be recalled that Gov. Ugwuanyi in late 2015, in response to the persistent public outcry over the exorbitant fines of N25,000 levied on traffic offenders, which the Ministry of Transport inherited, ordered an indefinite suspension of the collection of fines for traffic offences in the state, saying: “I cannot sit down here as governor of the state and watch the people being asked to pay such a huge amount of money (N25,000.00) as fine for disobeying traffic rules.”
The governor however warned road users against the abuse of traffic rules and regulations in the state because of the ban order, a warning which the commissioner regretted was not eventually heeded to by motorists.
Truly, Enugu State is in the hands of God!
