By DCC Sani Abdullahi
The office of the supreme Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) which is today known as Corps Marshal was originally identified as Director of Organization and Chief Executive (DOCCE) under Dr Olu Agunloye who was the pioneer Chief Executive of the Corps at its inception in 1988. Dr Agunloye as the DOACE whose office later became known as the Corps Marshal & Chief Executive following the 1992 amendment decree 35 to the FRSC enabling decree 45 of 1988 was the secretary of the Commission.
Along with the Chairman, Professor Wole Soyinka and other founding members of the organization, these eggheads were the ones that gave the FRSC its well known civil outlook that has endured till today. As apostles of civility and activists in human rights under the auspices of civil society organizations, these wise men believed that Road safety Marshals did not require arms to enforce traffic rules and regulations on the highways. According to them, people’s obedience to traffic rules and regulations should come from their understanding and appreciation of the rightness of the actions of the Marshals through their self driven willingness to obey rather than through coercion
However, while such civil approach initially worked well to the amazement of most Nigerians who believed that the people only understood the language of violence or militant approach to law enforcement ensconced in “Command and Compliance,” the reality soon dawned on the members and Nigerians as well as the then military government as the Marshals came under heavy violent attacks from some criminals who glamourized violence through the use of arms. Tragically, many personnel of the Corps lost their lives with patrol vehicles and other equipment of the Corps destroyed in the process.
Ironically, that was what led the Federal military government to change its mind in arming the FRSC as manifested through the amendment Decree 35 of 1992 which was promulgated 5 years after the establishment of the FRSC,thereby empowering personnel of the Corps to bear arms.
For those that may not know that since 1992 amendment to the FRSC enabling laws, the power to bear arms by the FRSC has been part of our laws, even though we never actually made use of the arms for the last 36 years that we have continued to enforce traffic rules and regulations on the nation’s highways, this is the fact. For the avoidance of doubt, even the FRSC Established Act 2007 signed into law under the civilian dispensation provided the use of arms by the Corps in section 19 of the Act.
With this background, everyone must come to the realization that arming the FRSC personnel, even though was not an original intention of the founding fathers, the Federal government had to change its mind in1992 when violent incidents became rampart with the armless and youthful Marshals bent on ensuring that motorists complied with traffic rules and regulations through public enlightenment programs and aggressive enforcement became the victims of their civility
Seeing the founding Corps Marshal, Dr Olu Agunloye and the current Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed in the gigantic National Headquarters of the FRSC in contrast to the modest beginning of the Corps offices at Oluyole in Ibadan, Gbagada in Lagos and even Wuse Zone 2 in Abuja should awaken our consciousness to the journey of the FRSC so far. We must appreciate Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed for bringing the oldest Corps Marshal to his office yesterday and updating him on the progress being made in moving the Corps to greater heights.
There’s no doubt that bridging the gaps between the past and the present will create a new consciousness that will drive the Corps to attain the goals of the new vision being championed by Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed-led management.
We appreciate God for being part of the FRSC’s tortuous journey!
Abdullahi is at the FRSC National Headquarters Abuja.
