9th July, 2020
Rivers Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Commandant Salusi Galadunci, said the agency was planning to revamp operations of the mobile courts in the state.
This, he said, was to improve discipline and dispensation of justice for traffic offenders.
Galadunci made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Port Harcourt.
According to him, the court is an arbiter of justice which is the reason why all FRSC formations are mandated to embark on the mobile courts.
Galadunci said that activities of the mobile courts has in many ways promoted transparency in justice delivery for traffic offenders and also helped cultivate sanity among commuters and other road users.
“We have plans to meet with the Chief Justice of the state to seek collaboration so that they can permanently assign magistrates for the mobile courts to enable us carry out sittings either weekly or on a quarterly basis.
“The Command would strive very hard to ensure a drastic reduction in traffic offences in the coming weeks by engaging the mobile courts and promoting safety education,” he said.
The FRSC had recorded a number of 276 traffic offences in 7 days, a situation which has raised serious concern for the new Sector Commander in the state.
The commandant also pledged readiness to strengthen cooperation with relevant bodies in the state.
“From the little analysis in my three weeks of operation in the state, I have discovered that so many drivers here are driving without driver’s licence and authentic vehicle particulars.
“My intention is to set up a task force as soon as the COVID-19 restriction is completely eased.
“The task force is going to be only in change of drivers and vehicle licenses and it would be established in collaboration with the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service.
“We would also involve other stakeholders like the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and others.
“The idea of this task force is that when a culprit driving without licence is apprehended, his vehicle would be kept in our custody till the licence is processed,” he said.