The Emir of Ilorin and Chairman of the Kwara State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, has reiterated the need for the Federal Government to arm officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to defend themselves against criminal elements whenever they are on patrol.
The Emir made the remarks while receiving in his palace in Ilorin the new Zonal Commanding Officer, Federal Road Safety Corps Zone RS8 Command, with headquarters in Ilorin, Assistant Corps Marshal Clement Oladele, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021.
To buttress his point, the Emir relayed his first encounter with the FRSC during an incident in the early 1990s after its establishment.
He said he met the FRSC officials on patrol near Federal School of Surveying, Oyo town on Oyo-Ogbomoso road, while he applauded the swift response and professionalism displayed by the FRSC team on that day.
He noted that in the course of interacting with them, he learnt they dealt with all manners of motorists both friendly and harmful ones, which exposed them to dangers.
The Emir said since then, he had been campaining that the federal government should arm those on patrol to ensure their protection.
The Emir stated further that it was now more appropriate, considering the level of insecurity across some sections of the country.
Earlier, the new Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone RS8 Command Headquarters, Oladele, commended the royal father for his support to highway safety in the country, and solicited the royal father’s blessings and support, to make highways safer in Kwara, Kogi and Ekiti States where he superintends road safety activities.
Oladele, before his new appointment was the immediate past Commandant of the prestigious FRSC Academy in Enugu State.
