OSITA CHIDOKA, FRSC, AND THE TANKER SAFETY INITIATIVE

There was applause at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja on Monday July 28 th, when the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC Osita Chidoka presented his well articulated welcome address for the stakeholders meeting on Safety of Tankers and Trailers in Nigeria. The loud ovation was not just for the timeliness and succinctness of the initiative but also for its glorious prognostication. Anyone who is abreast with current road incidents would agree with me that these are trying times for the commission and the nation at large. Recent cases of tanker accidents in Lagos show that on July 24, along Orile–Badagry Expressway, between 12 to 15 persons lost their lives and seven vehicles got burnt. Earlier on June 10, a tanker conveying Diesel caught fire leaving one person severely burnt at the Oworonsoki end of Third Mainland Bridge. Four vehicles were also consumed in the inferno. On May 8, four houses and 21 vehicles were razed when a fuel tanker fell on its side and caught fire at Fadeyi Bus Stop on Ikorodu Area. All these took place in a space of two months in just one state out of 36 states of the federation. Besides the gory picture of charred remains of human bodies and burnt out vehicles coupled with the challenges of visioning for improved trailer/tanker operations, the FRSC was in the last one year pitched into serious internal crisis.

advertisement

After the appointment of Osita Chidoka as helmsman for the commission on June 12 2007, a wave of misunderstanding and probably disillusionment tested the commission to breaking point. Also the gale of death and alleged mass resignations of officers blew across the entire length of the commission taking a heavy toll on the stability and performance of the organization. Yet for all the misery, the July 28 th outing is a clear indication that the FRSC may emerge stronger and more united. In-fighting is now restricted to confirmed dissident groups and disgruntled elements within the commission.

Although outside pressure helped, it was these aggrieved groups themselves who forced the deal. Hostile newspaper articles engineered to detract from the personality of the Corp Marshal and the integrity of the commission however should be set against the dovish work of many other officers and marshals and stakeholders who attended the meeting and made meaningful contributions geared towards repositioning road safety, particularly for tankers and trailers, and by extension repositioning the road transport industry and the commission.

But will July’s Implementation Plan, signed by the commission and stakeholders bring lasting solutions to the problem of tanker explosion? Best practices in tank design to prevent possible rollovers and spill outs, best practices in tanker truck design to withstand emergency situations, aid increased visibility for the Driver and overall safety requirements, best practices in Motor Vehicle and Goods in Transit Insurance, Regulation and general standardization are to be adopted, implemented, communicated to industry operators, and enforced within a reasonable time.

None of these will be easy. One question is; to what extent can tanker operators meet up with the demands of standardization and still remain in business? Another is; how prepared is the government towards providing standard road infrastructure for tanker operation? Reacting to the first question, a representation of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO recommended fleet consolidation for operators of large fleet and the option of merger for those with small fleet. This recommended, by all standards, will help entrepreneurs to carry the cost of standardization while operating in a competitive market.

Regarding the question about the preparedness of government to provide standard infrastructure, the federal government promises to develop alternative modes of transportation such as the railways and waterways to reduce reliance on the road mode while also embarking on goad sector reforms including the possibility of concessioning of selected roads to private investors to address the issue of sustainable road maintenance.

The finer details of the propositions will be clarified by the National Assembly but the in-fighting and mudslinging within the commission is likely to be resolved in FRSC’s back rooms. The opposition wants the government to appoint a serving officer to take over the headship of the commission. The government has rejected this. What the opposition seems to have forgotten is that the founder and the first Helmsman of FRSC, the Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, was not a trained Para-military officer neither was he an ex-serviceman. They also seem to be ignorant of the fact that continuously alleging that Osita Chidoka was imposed on the commission against the commission’s Reviewed Conditions of Service, is a mark of disrespect on the office and the personality of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Considering the lopsided nature of evidences against their demands, compromise is likelier on the choice of the opposition.

In an article; Issues on Trucking of Hazardous Goods in Nigeria, published in the DailyTriumph of Tuesday 22 nd and again on Tuesday 29 th July 2008 and also on some choice websites, this writer recommended that for the FRSC to be proactive and internationally consistent in their approach to issues of road safety, professionalism and intellect must replace the old order. This has been missing in the commission because of lack of transport professionals within the ranks of the corps. But nothing is more powerful than an idea whose time has come. It is pertinent to note here that the present leadership, because of his flair for professionalism and his background in transport studies, had gone ahead of the recommendation to delegate a sizeable number of officers and marshals for professional courses of critical importance abroad. This initiative is commendable and must be recommended for all heads of government outfits who wish to demonstrate their commitment to duty and passion for the job.

advertisement

As the FRSC moves towards revolutionizing tanker traffic in Nigeria, it is equally imperative to consider the review of issues of Bus safety. Bus companies provide important passenger (and sometimes freight) transport services across Nigeria, from urban commuter services to rural and long distance inter-state services. Most buses carry members of the public including commuters, school children, holiday makers and tourists, and people in sporting or social groups. Therefore it is important that anyone who operates and is involved in the provision of a bus service is able to do so to the highest standard to engender public confidence in this important public transport option.

Buses must meet any applicable vehicle design standards in order to operate. In addition to this, routine inspections and maintenance checks must be undertaken to ensure that buses are always in good working order, and servicing and repairs must occur in a timely fashion. As a result of the community desire for safe bus transport, the commission under the dynamic leadership of Corp Marshal Chidoka has introduced several measures to address safety.

The Road Transport Safety Standardisation Scheme, RTSSS is part of the FRSC’s Driver Safety Programme. The issues addressed by RTSSS are strictly of international standard. Although this has been left undone for many years, the commission intends to embark on a nationwide enforcement of vehicle standards, maintenance, and inspection rules for all commercial vehicles including buses. Also the Dangerous Materials Special Permit, DMSP for shippers and transporters of dangerous materials is an initiative of the FRSC to protect the tankers, the buses and other road users from the lethal effects of dangerous materials on transit.

A lot has been said already of the preparedness of the FRSC to combat the menace of fatal tanker incidents, and to improve on the safety requirements of all other vehicles on Nigerian roads. What is remaining is the much needed support from government quarters and from other modal agencies alongside safety interest groups.

By Chigozie Chikere

Traffic Data Analyst

7 Samuel Ladoke Akintola Boulevard

Garki II, Abuja.

E-mail: grandefather@yahoo.com