Date Published: 01/05/10
EFFECTIVE PUBLIC SERVICE DELIVERY: THE FRSC EXAMPLE By Chigozie Chikere
Among the many urgent priorities on the President Umar Musa Yar’Adua’s seven point agenda in 2007 was the extension of improved transport infrastructure and services to the whole population that up to then only residents of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja had been able to enjoy to some extent. The focus of this contribution is to examine the challenging role of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), in achieving this ambition with emphasis on the delivery of road safety management services in Nigeria since the year 2007. The article considers the FRSC’s approach to constitutional principles committed to ensuring high standard of professional ethics and responsible public administration in accordance with democratic values. Its assessment is guided by Batho Pele’s principles for effective public service delivery which are in consonance with the provisions of the Charter for Public Service in Africa: Consultation, Service Standards, Access, Courtesy, Information, Openness and Transparency.
Professor C. Thornhill of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, writing on prerequisites for effective service delivery, agrees that one of the most complex matters any administration has to address is certainly determining the most crucial needs that have to be satisfied. Thus prioritizing needs is a primary requirement for effective service delivery. Moreover in setting priorities to meet with the high expectations of society for the immediate solution of their urgent needs, the consultation principle recommends that citizens should be consulted about the level and quality of the public service they receive and, whenever possible, should be given a choice about the services they are offered.
The business of road safety management, though national in dimension, is primarily a personal service in the sense that it is aimed at saving the life and property of each individual road user and by extension, the nation. Conventionally, no personal service is rendered to any individual without consultation – the services of the FRSC are no exception. From the campaign against drink-driving, driving without seatbelt, over-speeding, non use of helmet, to driving with poor visibility, the FRSC never enforced any personal safety rule without due consultation with road transport stakeholders and most times, the general public. In the last quarter of 2008 alone, the FRSC Corp Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka visited most major cities in the country holding talks with Commercial Motorcyclists on the need to procure crash helmets before January 1, 2009 deadline. This effort, according to records, yielded about 90% compliance nationwide. There are also reports of series of meetings held, between 2007 and 2009, with road transport stakeholders like the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Ministry of Works and Transport (MOW&T), National Automotive Council (NAC), and other ancillary organizations that complement the entire transport sub-sector. These meetings witnessed robust deliberations on issues of vehicle standardization, road infrastructure development, fleet maintenance, oil and gas transportation by road, vehicle insurance, trailer crashes and products spillage, quality control, trade unionism, and other burning issues on road safety management. Incidentally, the political awareness and support for road safety at many levels – from government to civil society and at local levels – which the FRSC achieved through this consultation principle was the outstanding reason for the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award which the Commission won in 2008.
As a result of the complex nature of the services required and the equally complex nature of the management required to provide services, the traditional approaches seem inadequate or, in the real sense, outdated. In most cases, as Professor Thornhill observed, the time frame within which public institutions operate are no longer valid for the pace at which some services are required. It is therefore recommended that public servants as well as the political structure need to adjust their operational time frames to satisfy the most basic needs.
Naturally, all road safety matters require rapid response approach. From minor vehicle breakdowns, which cause traffic holdups, to fatal crashes with high casualty rates, the FRSC patrol teams work within limited time frame to carry out the required Search and Rescue operations. Quoting the Corp Marshall, ‘‘My main take-off effort is concentrated in reorganizing the back end effort of not just being there on the streets enforcing the rules but also to be in office providing what I will call the Information Technology (IT) Architecture; the managerial framework that will make it possible for the FRSC to deliver on its mandate.’’ One of the measures adopted by the Commission in recent times is the establishment of a Call/Data Centre at the Abuja Headquarters to co-ordinate information flow from the public and field operatives to FRSC national headquarters and field command offices. The dialing code is simply 0700-CALL-FRSC, which translates to 070022553772 and automatically links the caller to an operator who promptly facilitates each individual request. This is specially designed to ease response time to road traffic emergencies nationwide. Evidently, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) 2009 Award for Excellence on safety matters won by the Corp Marshal, Mr. Osita Chidoka is an eloquent testimony to the effectiveness of this creative effort. In the letter of nomination to him, it was stated, “the committee took into cognizance published and reported matters on the activities and developments of FRSC under you, specifically in your repositioning and safety-ICT focused orientation of the Corps”.
Besides, one of the four matters referred to in the REPORT OF THE COMMISSION FORAFRICA, entitled OUR COMMON INTEREST, under the heading; GETTING THINGS RIGHT:GOVERNANCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING, is ‘capacity to deliver’. In many cases, development is inhibited by a lack of sound managerial systems and properly trained and experienced public servants to operate within those systems. The Commission for Africa Report states unequivocally that qualified professional staff is essential to all forms of development. “They are crucial for collecting and managing data and debating and developing policies based on the evidence of what works and what does not.” In pursuit of this objective, the present leadership of the FRSC has reorganized the command structure to ease command and control while a planning office, a board room and IT unit have been created at the Abuja Headquarters to pilot the Commission’s planning, control, and projection needs as well as establish the IT platform for efficient data management and delivery. Besides the structural adjustments within the Commission, the FRSC has embarked on intensive staff training and retraining, locally and overseas, to provide qualified manpower to drive the noble goals of the Commission. It is no doubt on the basis of this development that the Federal Road Safety Commission was ranked the best government agency in the latest nationwide Ministerial SERVICOM Unit Evaluation, carried out by the SERVICOM Office in the Presidency as part of measures to ensure improved service delivery among Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
According to a letter conveying the evaluation report as endorsed by the Acting Chief SERVICOM Officer, Mrs. Nnenna Akajemeli, the FRSC was evaluated to assess its functionality and level of SERVICOM compliance in the Corps’ various formations spread across the Country. Aside from the publication of a Charter in a pamphlet for the general public, the existence of an evidence for effective public complaints, regular training of its SERVICOM staff, a comprehensive work plan and clear directional signs for visitors to FRSC offices was among the criteria that scaled up the status of the Corps in line with SERVICOM principles.
It is pertinent to note here that the SERVICOM rating came at the heels of the recent certification of FRSC 32 Auditors and 27 Implementors by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). This certification indicates that the FRSC operational system and procedure conform to the benchmark standard of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON). By the time the ISO39001 Certification for Road Traffic Safety Management Systems, for which the Commission’s application has reached an advanced stage, is awarded, Nigerians will be fully aware of what level and quality of road safety management services they will receive and also expect.
Describing the requirements of the access principle for effective public service delivery, Batho Pele explains that all citizens should have equal access to the services to which they are entitled.
Apart from the general and statutory functions of the Commission, FRSC has a wide range of services which include issuance of Driver’s license, learning permit and vehicle license. The Driver’s license, particularly, has gained international recognition and is a source of vital information for national security and planning. On this premise, the current FRSC leadership places much premium on the restoration of the integrity of the Driver’s license. The Corp Marshal, who is currently the President of the West African Road Safety Organisation (WARSO) believes the restoration of the National Driver’s License as a security document would expedite the introduction of the proposed Uniform Motor Vehicle Administration and Driver’s License Scheme among West African countries. So, citizens enjoy unlimited access to obtaining, replacing, and renewal of Driver’s license, checking of National Driver’s license status, and obtaining of Learner’s Permit. Other services accessible to the public include obtaining, replacement, and renewal of Vehicle License, Special Marshal’s application, Road Safety Club membership, recruitment opportunities, and contacts. Perhaps, the method of payment for these services, which is online by means of scratch cards, ATM cards, and Credit cards contribute largely to the uniqueness of these services.
The requirement for courtesy in public service delivery is that citizens should be treated with consideration. Unfortunately Nigerian road users feel the FRSC is being unusually aggressive in their approach to traffic law enforcement. Admittedly though, the Corp Marshall on assumption of office in July 2007 explained that the Federal Road Safety Commission was actually set up to be the lead agency in promoting road safety. In doing that, it has some responsibilities, including the issuance of Driver’s License, the function of producing Vehicle Number Plates, the dimension of providing statistics, and also it has the enforcement arm. Unfortunately, what people see of the agency is the enforcement function, which is the front end of the functions of the agency. At the back end, there are a lot of activities that make it possible for the officer at the beat to be able to do the job of ensuring roadworthiness of vehicles, impounding the ones that violate the laws and getting their owners to pay the appropriate penalties. The misconception of the function of the FRSC is because what the public sees is the enforcement aspect. According to the Corp Marshall, a situation in the past where Drivers’ Licenses were issued to people without tests and verifications posed a serious threat to road safety as people with serious physical challenges who obviously are not qualified to drive, were found with genuine Driver’s Licenses. Such situations, the Corp Marshal concluded, are not supposed to be handled with kid gloves.
This observation, though critical, provides a lead to the extent to which the FRSC has gone in their understanding of the road traffic situation in Nigeria, and their readiness to educate Drivers, Motorists, and other members of the public generally on the proper use of the highways. To this end therefore, the FRSC officials assume the reformist posture in their dealings with traffic offenders. Thus while administering justice in the event of a breach of traffic law, they also help the offender to learn the importance of discipline on the highway. Incidentally, this is done with a commendable level of courtesy.
Reliable and up-to-date statistics are essential for the effective planning and delivery of public services. Coincidentally the Batho Pele’s information principle holds that citizens should be given full, accurate information about the public service they are entitled to receive. In relation to information collection and management, the FRSC is a leader in many areas, and has to a great extent achieved this goal of providing a relevant and accurate body of statistics. The Commission regularly publishes information, even when it reflects poorly on her performance – a critical element in ensuring the accountability of the Commission to Nigerian Citizens. The FRSC maintains a website, www.frsc.gov.ng, where vital information on FRSC’s Background, Structure, Administration, Member Associations, Staff welfare, Government Charter, NGOs on Road Safety, and Procurement procedures are published. There are also pages dedicated to News, Crash Reports, Road Traffic Crashes data, Online forms, Publications, Free Pictures and Posters downloads, and lots of other details published for public consumption. For intending fans of the Commission, who may wish to access the daily road safety management updates as well as participate in the ‘How well do you know the Federal Road Safety Commission?’ quiz via an interactive medium, everyone is welcome at FRSC’s page on www.facebook.com.
Besides published information, the FRSC places much emphasis on safety for all road users which, according to the management, is paramount. The management makes that emphasis because it believes the FRSC has moved away from focus on the vehicle and its owner alone. The Commission has embarked on serious highway audit. This involves being able to warn road users about certain dangers on certain roads and then working very hard to get road signs and markings in place. The FRSC believes that the public has to, first of all, know about road rules, be warned about the existence of a problem before they get there. The Corp marshal also operates an open door policy in relation with the Press, School excursions, Researchers, and anyone who wishes to gain access to information for the purpose of creating road safety awareness. In the words of Mr. Jacob Edi, Chairman of the NUJ council, “As the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka has transformed the Corps to a viable lead agency driven by information and communication technology in addressing the vast and intricate problems of road traffic safety management and administration in Nigeria. Under his dynamic leadership, the Federal Road Safety Corps won the 2008 prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2008 and also won the ‘Government Agency of the Year Award’ by Newsday Newspaper, City People Magazine and other numerous Awards”.
The openness and transparency principle has it that citizens should be told how national and provincial (states, local governments) departments are run, how much they cost, and who is in charge. According to Thornhill, one of the primary requirements of democracy is the ability of society to establish how the elected government is performing. That implies that society should be able to demand information from governmental institutions and be able to determine the success or failure of policies and related actions of government.
The Commission for Africa identifies budget transparency as one of the most crucial requirements for effective government. The Commission argues that citizens have the right to information about how the budgeted money is spent. Budget transparency is particularly important in the case of capital project or work-creating programmes like the FRSC 1.7 billion Naira Staff Estate project, the roadside clinics project, the annual international conferences, the Corp marshal’s conference, the departmental conferences, the staff training programmes, the ember months campaigns, relevant office automation project, etc.
Transparency is also promoted in the FRSC through strict adherence to the provisions of the Federal Government’s anti-corruption unit and the SERVICOM Charter. In fact, as entrenched in the SERVICOM Charter, the vision of the FRSC is to develop for the nation and humanity a disciplined, committed and affable Corps, highly polished, courteous and accessible to all road users with sustainable capacity for efficient service delivery in highway traffic injury prevention and emergency management services.
The e-procurement management platform is another transparency initiative of the FRSC. The platform tracks winning information about recent bid opportunities. Subscribers find the information helpful in preparing future bid responses, learning about subcontracting opportunities, and benefit from the transparent bid process on the platform. Tracking of excellence in service delivery enhances the rating of subscribers as well on the platform.
To further promote the openness principle in road safety operations, the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the FRSC has advocated the need for voluntary groups to be encouraged as reliable partners towards ensuring global road safety management, especially in economically challenged economies. Speaking at the first global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Moscow, Russia, the FRSC Corps Marshal cited the Nigerian model of Special Marshals with 13, 179 membership of men and women of proven integrity who are empowered by the FRSC Act 2007 to complement the statutory functions of Regular Marshals to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways as veritable tool towards enthroning safer roads, especially among low income countries.
The main purpose of the state, through its various institutions is the protection of its inhabitants, maintenance of law and order, and economic stability. The provision of services that cannot ordinarily be accessed by its citizens for various reasons such as poverty and economies of scale is also one of the important duties of the contemporary state. That is one of the primary reasons why there is an emphasis on effective public service delivery. The FRSC is encouraging Nigerians to see the commission first, as one which regards the public as customers and as such customer-friendly. Then Second, as an organisation which has revamped and re-engineered its processes and procedures with a view to making them easy and efficient for the public while making sure the Corps is placed at par with other lead agencies in road safety management and administration across the globe.
This contribution does not profess to be an extensive exposition, but is an effort to examine the performance of, as well as the challenges facing the contemporary public service institution, particularly, the Federal Road Safety Commission.
Chigozie Chikere,
Traffic Data Analyst, and Member Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport,
7 Samuel Ladoke Akintola Boulevard,
Garki II, Abuja.
e-mail: grandefather@yahoo.com
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