Easter
By Victor Nwachukwu
Owerri, April 17, 2019 (NAN) The police command in Imo has given assurance that there will be adequate security for lives and property in all parts of the state during the Easter celebrations.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Owerri, while briefing newsmen on the command’s readiness for a crime-free festivity in the state.
Ikeokwu said that the command had extended police visibility and patrols in place, in view of the peculiar security situation in the state.
He said: ‘’The effort is aimed at protecting lives and property before, during and after Easter celebrations.
‘’We are also collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to be able to contain any break down of law and order in the state during the period.”
He, however, urged the public to be vigilant and assist the police with necessary information that would assist in checkmating crime during the period. (NAN)
VIN/YI/USO
(Edited By Yahaya Isah/Sam Oditah)
Differences
By Ahmed Kaigama
Bauchi, March 30, 2018 (NAN) Gov. Mohammed Abubakar of Bauchi State has called for unity and tolerance among the residents as they celebrate the Easter.
He said that people should bury their ethnic, religious and political differences for the overall peace and development of the state.
Abubakar, in an Easter message on Friday, said: “We must preach the virtues of peace and unity among us.
“We cannot afford to allow ourselves to be divided along religious or ethnic lines.
“Therefore, we must allow peace to reign in order to achieve progress.”
He appealed to the Christian community in the state, who just ended the Lent period, to put into practice the lessons of the spiritual exercise.
“I would like to appeal for sober reflection and self evaluation by all with a view to assessing everybody’s relationship with God and fellow human beings so as to make amends where necessary.”
The governor noted that the state and the Nation as a whole needed continued prayers to overcome various challenges.
Abubakar reiterated his administration’s commitment to the maintenance of law and order, adding that government has taken all the necessary measures to ensure a hitch free Easter celebration.
He however appealed for continued support and cooperation from the people for a peaceful and progressive state. (NAN)
MAK/IS
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Abuja, March 26, 2018 (NAN) The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has mobilised all its field and sector commands nationwide for Special Patrol in order to ensure hitch-free Easter celebrations.
Tagged 2018 Easter Special Patrol, the exercise, according to the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, is scheduled to run from March 28 to April 3 with focus on 39 corridors across the country.
Kazeem told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the special operation was aimed at ensuring drastic reduction in road traffic accidents and attendant deaths, among other objectives.
Cue in audio (Bisi Kazeem on Easter)
“The public holiday expected to be declared by the Federal Government will definitely cause an increase in vehicular movement across the nation’s highways.
“As such it is expedient that the corps prepares ahead of time to curtail the situation in order to ensure smooth travel experience by motorists.
“The associated risks involved in upsurge of traffic are the occurrences road traffic crashes, road obstruction among others, which the corps must strategise to mitigate and we are doing that already.
“This falls in line with the 2018 corporate strategic goal of improved enforcement and rescue services to reduce road traffic crashes by 15 per cent and fatalities by 30 per cent.
“It is in view of the above that administrative instructions have already been issued to guide field commands on the course of action for a hitch-free exercise.’’
Cue out audio
Kazeem outlined other objectives of the exercise to include effective traffic management to ensure free traffic flow, high visibility of FRSC personnel on the highways and robust public enlightenment.
Others are strict enforcement of traffic laws and regulations, prompt response to road traffic crashes, adequate supervision, surveillance and monitoring of commands’ activities.
The identified critical corridors, according to him, include Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi, Maiduguri-Biu-Numan-Jalingo-Wukari, Abuja-Lokoja-Okene, Enugu-Abakaliki-Ogoja-Mfum, Ibadan-Ife-Akure-Owo-Ifon-Benin and Benin-Warri-Patani-Sagbama-Ahoada-Port Harcourt highways, among others.
The FRSC spokesman said that more than 22 traffic gridlock areas had also been identified nationwide, adding that adequate personnel had been deployed to ensure free flow of traffic.
He listed the areas as Asaba by Bridge Head, Upper Iweka Road in Onitsha, Ore by construction area, Gwagwalada by bridge in the FCT, Katsina Ala by bridge in Benue, among others.
According to him, the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has instructed all field commands to deploy personnel alongside special marshals and other relevant stakeholders on all the designated corridors and areas.
Kazeem added that the 2018 Easter Special Patrol operation would also focus on critical traffic offences such as failure to install speed limiting device, overloading and lane violations.
Others are use of phone while driving, driving with expired or worn-out tyres, driving without spare tyres and traffic obstructions.
He stated that more than 200 mobile courts have already been put on standby nationwide to prosecute traffic law offenders.
According to him, the field commands have been directed to ensure that the mobile courts sit throughout the seven-day period, and encourage magistrates to increase their sitting time for effective prosecution of traffic offenders.
He said the Corps would conduct “traffic count’’ on identified critical corridors such as Lagos-Ibadan, Kano-Katsina, Abuja-Kaduna, Abuja-Lokoja, Benin-Sagamu, Sokoto-Gusau, among others.
He said the Operations Department at the headquarters would deploy special monitoring teams to ensure that the exercise held as planned.
While soliciting the cooperation of motorists and other road users, Kazeem advised those with complaints against any FRSC personnel to report to the nearest field or sector command office or reach him directly at a.kazeem@frsc.gov.ng. (NAN)
Minna, April 14, 2017 (NAN) Bishop Martins Uzuokwu of Minna Catholic Diocese on Friday called on Nigerians to use the Easter period to seek God’s intervention toward tackling obstacles on the path to progress and prosperity.
Uzuokwu told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna that Nigerians should particularly pray for God’s intervention in the nation’s economy, security and corrupt tendencies by those in power.
“We must seek divine intervention to pull Nigeria out of its economic recession.
“We must also seek divine intervention toward ending security issues that have discouraged some investors from patronising Nigeria and even made it impossible for farmers to go to the fields,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to provide a conducive environment that would attract investors, noting that the nation was blessed with abundant human and natural resources that were wasting away.
The Bishop also urged government to introduce policies that would promote modern farming so as to improve food production, feed the nation and even export.
He advised Nigerians to support the efforts toward tackling corruption so as to conserve resources to improve the welfare of the masses. (NAN)
AAG/JPE/ETS
NAN-H-17
FRSC
Thompson Charlie Yamput
Pankshin (Plateau) April 13, 2017 (NAN) The Pankshin Unit of the Fedeal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Plateau says it has deployed 70 officers and men to patrol flash points and strategic routes during the Easter period.
“The Easter season is a period for lots of festivities in the hinterland, so we expect heavy traffic because many people will be coming in from the towns.
“In the specific case of Pankshin, the Ngas people will hold their annual `Puus Dung Cultural Festival’ on Saturday, April 15.
“We have mapped out strategies for effective traffic management so as to minimise road accidents within the period,” the Unit Commander, Mr Nnamdi Ikeh-Akabogu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pankshin on Thursday.
The Unit Commander listed some flash points to include “snake bend’’ along Pankshin– Kanke road, the hilly Panyam-Chip road, as well as the usually dangerous Kuka corner, along Kanke–Langtang road.
He advised motorists to avoid speeding in view of the raining season, and called for patience and respect for traffic regulations.
The official said that he had briefed the personnel on what was expected of them, and stressed the need to protect Nigerians from becoming victims of other people’s carelessness.
The commander, however, said that the introduction of the speed limiting device had reduced the rate of accidents on the highways, especially in the rural areas.
He appealed to vehicle owners to install the speed limiting device so as to save lives. (NAN)
TYC/ETS
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Edited by Bayo Sekoni and Ephraims Sheyin
