Chidoka Takes Road Safety Campaigns To West African Countries

Nigeria's Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka  and the President of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) has taken the campaign of road safety awareness  to some west African countries
According Media Assistant to Commander Mr. Chidoka, route Sanni Abduliahi the Nigeria's Corps Marshal as WARSO President has responsibilities not only to ensure the safety of the Nigerian roads, but even those of the member countries of the organization through sensitization of the governments of the West African Countries on the need to give road safety the priority it deserves. “That was what informed his exhortations to the executive committee members to start work immediately, to avoid what he called “going to sleep after inauguration”. And so, the Maiden Executive Committee Meeting of the organization was scheduled for  August, 11-12, 2008 in Abidjan, the Ivorian Capital. As a demonstration of Africa's spirit of brotherhood, the Ivorian government did not hesitate to host the meeting, having witnessed the exceptional hospitality of the Nigerian government which hosted the General Assembly Meeting of the Organization from  May, 5-7, 2008 at the ECOWAS Secretariat”.
In his opening remark, WARSO President, Osita  Chidoka did not mince words when he identified road safety as a major challenge to Africa's development. He said: “Road transport constitutes about 80 per cent of the transportation system within the sub-region and deserves greater attention from government”. He called on all the delegates to embark on programmes that will encourage and convince their governments to fully get involved in road safety, “instead of just allocating funds for road construction and maintenance”. Both the country's Minister of Transport, who declared the meeting open and the Interior Minister, with his colleagues from the African Integration Ministry who spoke at the occasion were unanimous in their support for the setting up of WARSO. The organization they agreed would make the realization of the much desired protocols on free movement and that of African integration possible through standardization and unification of traffic rules and vehicle administration within the sub-region.
After the opening ceremony, the executive committee meeting followed. As typical of a democratic setting, members engaged themselves in deliberations that could lead to the evolvement of effective administrative systems, capable of dealing with the challenges of mobilization of members, collaboration with relevant stakeholders and mechanism for funding.
In the cause of the two-day meeting, all participants applauded the efforts of Mr. Osita Chidika The way he directed the affairs of the meeting, coordinated and managed the deliberations on all issues discussed impressed the other executive members that they all agreed that the organization will soon attain a greater height under Nigeria's Presidency. The Ivorian Director for Road Safety, Dr Echui Aka, was so impressed with the leadership qualities exhibited by the President that he declared. “I did not know that our President possesses the level of competence and maturity he exhibited in coordinating the affairs of this meeting. Am indeed very satisfied and convinced that the objectives for setting up this organization are realizable within the shortest possible time with this leadership. All we need to do is to join hands together with him to move this noble organization forward”.

At the end of the deliberations spanning two days, the executive committee members resolved among others to adopt Nigeria's entry for the organization's logo. They also agreed that membership fees prescribed for 2008 in the bye- law be sustained, but should be paid by all members not later than October 30, 2008. They however agreed to review it, taking into consideration the tasks ahead, while the proposals on it should be submitted to the General Assembly at the general meeting scheduled to take place in Bamako, Mali, in November 2008. It was equally agreed that a temporal letter- head for opening of a bank account be designed by the Chairman from the logo proposed by Nigeria, pending the final decision on the issue by the General Assembly. Furthermore, it was resolved that the organization opens a bank account with ECOBANK in Nigeria, while relevant information on the account should be sent to all member countries.
The draft of the ECOWAS Regional Vehicle Registration System (RVRS) was presented and admitted as a very relevant and veritable scheme to road safety campaigns in the sub-region. Thus, it was agreed that member countries set up focal points in their respective countries; but ECOWAS to be invited to make a more detailed presentation of the system at the next General Assembly meeting in Bamako, Mali, later in the year.
In his opening remarks, WARSO President, Osita Chidoka did not mince words when he identified road safety as a major challenge to Africa's development. He said: “Road transport constitutes about 80% of the transportation system within the sub-region and deserves greater attention from government”. He called on all the delegates to embark on programmes that will encourage and convince their governments to fully get involved in road safety, “instead of just allocating funds for road construction and maintenance”. Both the country's Minister of Transport, who declared the meeting open and the Interior Minister, with his colleagues from the African Integration Ministry who spoke at the occasion were unanimous in their support for the setting up of WARSO. The Organization they agreed would make the realization of the much desired protocols on free movement and that of African integration possible through standardization and unification of traffic rules and vehicle administration within the sub-region.

After the opening ceremony, the executive committee meeting followed. As typical of a democratic setting, members engaged themselves in deliberations that could lead to the evolvement of effective administrative systems, capable of dealing with the challenges of mobilization of members, collaboration with relevant stakeholders and mechanism for funding.

In the cause of the two day meeting, the political sagacity, intellectual prowess and administrative competence of the President of the Organization and Nigeria's Corps Marshal became manifest to the admiration of all the executive members present. The way he directed the affairs of the meeting, coordinated and managed the deliberations on all issues discussed so endeared him to the rest executive members that they all agreed that the organization will soon attain a greater height under Nigeria's Presidency. The Ivorian Director for road safety, Dr Echui Aka was so impressed with the leadership qualities exhibited by the President that he declared. “I did not know that our President possesses the level of competence and maturity he exhibited in coordinating the affairs of this meeting. Am indeed very satisfied and convinced that the objectives for setting up this organization are realizable within the shortest possible time with this leadership. All we need to do is to join hands together with him to move this noble organization forward”.

At the end of the deliberations spanning two days, the executive committee members resolved among others to adopt Nigeria's entry for the organization's logo. They also agreed that membership fees prescribed for 2008 in the bye- law be sustained, but should be paid by all members not later than October 30, 2008. They however agreed to review it, taking into consideration the tasks ahead, while the proposals on it should be submitted to the General Assembly at the general meeting scheduled to take place in Bamako, Mali, in November 2008. It was equally agreed that a temporal letter- head for opening of a bank account be designed by the Chairman from the logo proposed by Nigeria, pending the final decision on the issue by the General Assembly. Furthermore, it was resolved that the organization opens a bank account with ECOBANK in Nigeria, while relevant information on the account should be sent to all member countries.

The draft of the ECOWAS Regional Vehicle Registration System (RVRS) was presented and admitted as a very relevant and veritable scheme to road safety campaigns in the sub-region. Thus, it was agreed that member countries set up focal points in their respective countries; but ECOWAS to be invited to make a more detailed presentation of the system at the next General Assembly meeting in Bamako, Mali, later in the year.