THURSDAY, MAY 8 2008
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West African road safety organ inaugurated
From ATIKU S. SARKI, Abuja
The federal government has described as timely, the formation of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO), based on the ECOWAS trade agreement which makes free movement of goods and services within the region’s frontiers by road much easier.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Ambassador Babagana Kingibe who stated this at the inauguration of WARSO , said the need for ECOWAS member countries to come under one umbrella to exchange ideas, experiences, and other materials relevant to the developent of road safety, cannot be over-emphasized.
He stressed that interactions should encourage those countries within the sub-region that have not yet established their road safety organizations to do so.
Ambassador Kingibe expalined that the fatality rate of road traffic crashes most especially in developing countries is alarming.
According to him, “ the loses incurred on both human and material resources affect the economies of these countries greately as they affect mostly the economically active populace of between 15-45 years”.
The SGF noted that the dreaded endemic killer disease ‘AIDS’ does not claim the quantum of lives lost in Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) every year in the developing countries, stressing that even as it is, accidents are not yet viewed as endemic by governments.
He, therefore, pleaded that all hands must be on deck to see that carnage on the highways is drastically reduced, just as he re-assured that Nigeria’s commitment to preventing and minimizing accidents on the highways remains firm.
Similarly, the Corp Marshal and chief executive of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka who also doubles as President of African Regional Group of the International Road Safety Organization, described the inauguration of WARSO as a realization of a dream and an idea nurtured since 2004 that has finally come to fruition.
He explained that the African Regional Group of the International Road Safety GPA-PRI deemed it imperative to provide a platform for countries in West African sub-region to share experiences and decide to form a body outside the GPA-PRI that could foster unity in the sub-region and whose membership is not predicated on belonging to the GPA-PRI.
Mr Chidoka noted that with the growing globalization and intercountry cooperation within the sub-region, free movement of goods and persons, a lot of trans-national travelling is taking place and the need for a concerted regional road safety plan is now.
According to him, “the establishment of WARSO will make possible the implementation of policies by heads of government of member countries to among others; harmonize sub-regional action plans (database, regulations, infrastructure, standard etc), harmonize legislation particularly those related to vehicle maintenace, speed control, drunk driving, use of helmet, vehicle licensing and so on, so that free movement in the sub-region can be enhanced.
