A total of 79 people were killed in fatal crashes in Gombe State between January and October 2023, just as a total of 779 others were injured in 278 crashes.
The disclosure was made by the Gombe State Sector Command of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) through the Sector Commander, Corps Commander Felix N. Theman, during the 2023 ‘EMBER’ month’s road safety campaign flag-off held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at Gombe Line terminus, Gombe.
Felix N. Theman said that this is despite the shift in the choice of public transportation as the only cost-effective means, leading to a drastic drop in the volume of passengers travelling, and the trips often recorded have also gone down.
According to him, “Consequently, statistics in Gombe State have indicated a drop in crashes and fatalities in the state. In 2022, the command recorded a total of 445 fatalities, killing a total of 110 people, while 1074 were injured.”
“However, for the year 2023 up to October 31st, 2023, a total of 278 crashes have been recorded with 43 fatal cases, killing 79 people while 779 were injured,” he added.
He explained that the FRSC, since inception, guided by available data, has treated the ‘Ember’ Months as a special breed of months in view of the blessings inherent in them.
The Sector Commander added, “As part of our desire to ensure that the motoring public is not left without sanction and that enforcement seeks to create traffic discipline, imbibe the culture of safe driving and invariably improve
wellbeing. Consequently, in the last ten months, the command has arrested 4665 offenders for contravening 5098 offences,” he added.
According to him, the highest offences for which they were arrested and issued tickets were overloading, failure to install a speed-limiting device, failure to display a number plate, driving without a licence, failure to wear a seatbelt, and driving against traffic, amongst other offences.
He then disclosed that “as part of our strategy for this year’s Ember Months in general, under Operation Zero Tolerance in particular, the Command will partner with the State Ministry of Health, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other critical stakeholders to replicate and build on the experience of 2022.”
“On our part, we have concluded arrangements to step up enforcement, public education and advocacy, and mobile court sessions. In addition, the Command intends to establish help areas in strategic locations where crashes are known to occur with a view to reducing our response time, Felix Theman assured.
He stressed, Blessings of harvests, blessings of new marriages being contracted, blessings of reunions with family members towards the end of the year, and blessings of hope renewed towards the beginning of another year.”
He, however, lamented that “Unfortunately, these blessings are often accompanied by increased crashes, deaths and injuries arising from our inability to manage conflicts of the road system upon which we have to travel and our inability to adjust our driving habits in line with the demands of the season It also arises out of our inability to manage the uncreated thrills of new marriages, Christmas, and New Year celebrations, as well as our collective failure to drive our vehicles in accordance with the rules of the game.”
The Sector Commander stressed that the efforts being made by FRSC over the years towards sustaining the campaign are by no means a jamboree or a ritual that must be performed.
According to him, “It represents a constant reminder that the lives we often lose and the injuries we sustain are most often needless and that safe driving is no rocket science outside the realm of possibility. It is also to make us reflect that the losses we often incur as a result of these crashes, some of which are self-instigated, are without doubt unnecessary.”
“Let me make myself clearer. The Federal Road Safety Corps appreciates the fact that human beings operate within a bounded or limited rationality because nature has not bestowed on us the gift of perfection. However, it is our duty to efficiently deploy the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that are within our reach.”
He added, It is for this reason that FRSC has consistently deployed avenues available to it to expand education, knowledge, and the skills required for safe driving. We cannot expect safety on our roads so long as we speed as though we are spirits, so long as we compromise the fundamental things that are necessary for safe driving, such as obeying the speed limit, ensuring that the vehicles are kept within safety standards, and ensuring that we are always willing to share the road with others.”
Felix N. Theman observed that the year 2023 has been challenging as far as road transportation is concerned, as the removal of subset and premium motor spirit (PMS) in particular has astronomically affected the cost of transportation.
This development, according to him, calls for more introspection by commercial vehicle operators due to their increased dependence on public transportation. This has suddenly become the new norm to enable the motoring public to meet their transportation needs.
As a response to this giant stride, the Command has also expanded its outreach by creating additional three commands at Billiri, Dukku, and Wajari and an area command in Kaltungo to ensure that the old and new roads are put to proper use.
In addition, two other commands are awaiting the Corps Marshal’s approval for their take-off at Kumo and Talase and a Zebra point at Bambam.
He then appealed to the state government to assist the command with two additional patrol vehicles and two ambulances to replace grounded ones in Cham, Kaltungo, and Zebra 14 Air Port Road.
According to him, “If these vehicles are provided, they will surely go a long way in advancing and enhancing our responses and operational capacity. The locations are: Marraban Tumu on the Gombe-Kumo Section of the Gombe-Yola Highway; Lodongor Village on the Kumo-Kaltungo Section of the Gombe-Yola Highway; Wajari Village on the Gombe-Dadin Kowa Section of the Gombe-Biu Highway; and Ture Balam Village on the Kaltungo-Bambam Section of the Yola Highway. Bojude Village is on the Gombe-Dukku section of the Gombe-Darazo Highway. Mararraban Nyuwar on the Cham-Lafiya Section of the Gombe-Yola Highway and Malam Sidi Twon on the Gombe-Bajoga Highway
Felix Theman then disclosed that this year’s Ember Months Campaign has the theme “Speed Thrills But Kills, Drive Responsibly, and Avoid Overloading” and captures one of the thorniest factors in RTC, not only in the state but in the country in general.
He stressed that “we have, in this direction, intensified our engagement with fleet operators, especially buses, with a view to ensuring that their buses are fitted with speed-limiting devices. This effort, if imbibed by the management of these transport companies, will go a long way in eliminating or reducing speed.
crashes.”
In his remarks, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, urged the people of Gombe State to imbibe the right attitude towards the usage of the road while stressing the need for them to shun drugs and obey traffic registrations.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr. Manasseh Jatau, the Governor assured that his administration will continue to make roads good and motorable in order to reduce crashes to the barest minimum in the state.
The Governor advised FRSC not to relax the standard of road traffic awareness and enlightenment by engaging in regular patrols and sensitization as well as advocacy.
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