No fewer than 20 officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been inaugurated as course participants of the Senior Course 2 in the FRSC Command and Staff College, Udi.

The course participants, who are drawn from the various geographical zones and FRSC commands in the country, are all within the rank of Chef Route Commander.

Inaugurating the course in Udi near Enugu on Friday, Gov. Peter Mbah tasked the College to ensure within six months they churn out professionally trained officers who would take the issue of road safety to a higher level in the country.

Mbah said that the state government was working with security agencies to ensure constant security and safety on the roads.

According to him, the recent flag-off of construction and reconstruction of multiple roads before the end of the year and other synergies with the corps show the state government’s commitment to improving safety and achieving the mandate of FRSC.

“The state government has mapped out programs and policies to improve motoring and road safety in the state, which is in line with FRSC strategic goals of 2023 meant to ensure a five percent reduction in road traffic crashes and deaths.

“The Enugu State government is committed to aligning with this goal and other FRSC goals to improve the safety of our citizens.

“We are also taking steps to assist the FRSC Zonal Command with vehicles to enhance its operation and achievement of its mandates in our state as well as collaborate with the Corps in biometric data capturing/collection for our drivers.

“We are also exploring the possibility of the Corps assisting in training and retraining of our traffic enforcement agency – Enugu State Traffic Management Agency (ESTMA) – for better productive work across our roads in the state,” he said.

Speaking, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu, said that the Corps plays a critical leadership role in road safety in Africa, adding that the College, meant to train high-level officers, was positioned to churn out professionals for that role.

Biu, represented by a Deputy Corps Marshal (DCM) in charge of Training, Mr Shehu Zaki, noted that the College was meant to un-skill, skill, and re-skill the officers to meet contemporary road safety challenges.

According to him, the course will build the participants (students/officers) to be critical thinkers, who are meant to solve dynamic, current, and emerging road safety issues.

He said: “The course will develop the intellectual attributes of the officers to cope with future Command challenges and the changes that are inevitable in the years ahead, given the dynamics of road safety management and society.

“The Corps seeks to develop a crop of intelligent officers who are active, organized, purposefully focused, skillful in the art of analytical reasoning in both individual and social road safety issues as well as well-adjusted to their environment.”

The corps marshal tasked the course participants with dedication and contributing actively in all lectures, engagements, and study tours as well as allowing the College to pass through them properly.

In an address, the Commandant of the College, Assistant Corps Marshal, Chidiebere Nkwonta, appreciated Gov. Mbah for gracing the event as well as commended the FRSC Corps Marshal for approving, supporting, and funding the course.

Nkwonta said that the training would be all-encompassing as it included: leadership administration and management, computer application, contemporary and tactical road safety application, study tours; and individual and group work and seminars.

He encouraged the participants to settle down for serious academic and intellectual work within the next six months, adding: “This special course will reposition you for greater productivity, result, and changes in your command and duty post”.