Mr. Clement Oladele, the Ogun State Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), said on Monday that 11 children had so far died in different road crashes in the state in 2019.
Oladele made the disclosure during the 2019 Children’s Day celebration and Road Safety Club session held at the FRSC headquarters in Abeokuta.
The sector commander noted that six of the children, a boy and five girls, died in a road crash at Olorunsogo in Abeokuta on January 25.
He added that the FRSC had over the past 31 years of its existence placed special premium on the protection of children from traffic-related dangers.
‘‘We have devoted special attention to the propagation of Road Safety Clubs in Primary and Junior Secondary Schools where road safety ideals are being taught.
‘‘We have a total of 774 Road Safety Clubs in Primary and Secondary Schools across Ogun State.
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‘‘We have also included child safety education in our public enlightenment programmes in churches, mosques and motor parks across Ogun State.
‘‘All of these efforts are to ensure that we make a difference in the everyday life of our children.
‘‘Ogun State has a peculiar traffic situation; we have a very high number of trucks plying highways in the state.
‘‘One of my saddest moments as Sector Commander was the day we lost one of our children in a road traffic crash.
‘‘She was an undergraduate of the Tai Solarin University of Education who had just concluded her internship with us here in FRSC.
‘‘The memory of the young lady still brings me pain,’’ he said.
He urged children not to use an ear piece when walking on the road or while on a bike and in a taxi.
‘‘You should always remind daddy and mummy of traffic rules and regulations and politely warn them against the various dangerous habits on the road,’’ he said.
Ajayi Oluwapelumi, a student of Mercyland College, Abeokuta, commended the FRSC for organising the programme.
She said the road safety club in schools had assisted the children to know more on how to conduct themselves on the roads.
Also speaking, Sanyaolu Oluwanifemi from Alaba Lawson Royal College, Abeokuta, also thanked the FRSC for the programme and called on motorists to always obey traffic rules and regulations. (NAN)