Yemisi Izuora
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has informed that the anti corruption campaign currently going on under his watch is already yielding fruits.
He therefore vowed not to be deterred nor intimidated to dissuade from cleansing the Corps of bad eggs.
In a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Marshal said this during a press conference at the national headquarters of the Commission on Friday.
While addressing the press, the Corps Marshal was quoted as saying that the press conference has become particularly imperative in view of the necessity to reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Road Safety Corps to eradicating road traffic crashes and creating a safer motoring environment in Nigeria.
According to Oyeyemi, the Corps has demonstrated this through the recent swift reaction to public outcry on corrupt tendencies by some personnel of the Corps detailed on patrol operations on certain locations across the country.
To nip that in the bud, the Corps Marshal launched a deliberate counter move by approaching the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Department of State Service (DSS) for collaboration on Joint Surveillance Special Operation. This Operation was targeted at arresting the bad eggs who by their actions, greed and highhandedness have made mockery of the hard earned reputation of the Corps before the general public.
Admittedly, Oyeyemi revealed thus, “the Surveillance Operation yielded positive results as over 70 staff were arrested in two tactical swoop, apart from other pockets of arrest made through the instrumentalities of internal regulatory mechanism of the Corps by which 71 arrests were made, with the cases currently undergoing investigation”.
Meanwhile, 31 staff of the Corps who were arrested by other security agencies are being tried for different infractions, leading to apprehension and desperation by some of those affected.
According to Kazeem, Oyeyemi stated in his address that the Corps’ National Traffic Radio is targeted at ensuring traffic reports are given nationwide and educating Nigerians. He revealed that measures institutionalised to achieve the mandate of the Corps by reducing road traffic crashes by 25℅ and fatalities by 30℅ are being undermined by corrupt practices, hence the launch of FLAG-IT Anti Corruption App in partnership with the Akin Fadeyi and Mac-Authur foundation to report any act of corruption by FRSC operatives.
On the reason for the clampdown, Oyeyemi stated that these clampdown became pertinent in view of the need for complementary efforts by the FRSC as a corporate organisation with huge national investment to join the efforts being made by President Muhamadu Buhari, GCFR to protect the enormous national economic resources and intellectual property of the nation through the fight against corruption.
He further commended staff who have continually supported and remained committed to the pursuit of the common goals of the Corps.
In his words, “Let me commend the personnel and urge them never to relent, as we will always stand with and by them. We are also aware that some persons and groups are making desperate efforts to come against us for our anti corruption stance, I want to advise those with such mindset who may wish to tarnish the image of the Corps to desist from doing so, because, it is our collective responsibility to build an organisation that we can all be proud of”.
To this end, he reaffirmed that he will not be deterred or intimidated, but remain focused and determined.
While leveraging on Mr. President’s quote that, “corruption will always fight back”, the Corps Marshal stated thus “we know that sooner than later mischief makers would want to make good their threats to smear us with frivolous but distracting commentaries, propaganda, falsehood and harassment”.
