Members of the Special Marshals arm of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been charged to discharge their duties with passion, integrity and commitment to serving humanity.
The charge was given by the RS 12.1 Sector Commander, Bauchi Sector Command, CC Caleb Luka, shortly after presiding over the induction of new members of the Special Marshals on Saturday at the FRSC Base in Bauchi.
Luka commended the contributions of the Special Marshals in Bauchi State and urged the new inductees to learn from experienced members and remain committed to their responsibilities.
“I am happy about Bauchi State. What the Special Marshals are doing is highly commendable. So, I want the few of you that have entered to learn from here, key into what you are doing, and by the grace of God, we will produce a National Coordinator from Bauchi if we continue like this,” he said.
He said integrity, passion and commitment should remain the guiding principles of every Special Marshal, noting that the voluntary nature of the organisation requires members to have a strong passion for saving lives.
“To be a Special Marshal, your guide word is integrity, passion and commitment. Nobody forced you to put yourself inside what you are in today,” Luka said.
He noted that despite the challenges associated with the work of Special Marshals, passion remained a major motivation for members who respond to road crashes and assist victims.
“Because the wahala there is too much. But there is one thing that drives most of us: passion. Passion is very, very important. There are people that, when they pass and see a crash victim, feel like crying. So, that is what is driving us from the outside to want to come inside,” he added.
Luka also commended the First Lady of Bauchi State for her passion for assisting road crash victims, saying she had personally participated in rescue operations and supported victims with medical expenses.
He said he recently shared the First Lady’s intervention with the Bauchi State Governor and that plans were underway to honour her with an honorary Marshal title.
“When I told the Governor, he was just shaking his head. That means he knows the type of wife he has and he knows the passion inside her. And we are preparing to give her an Honorary Marshal. We are talking with the State Coordinator about it,” he said.
The Sector Commander further urged the Special Marshals to go beyond rescuing crash victims by identifying and addressing the causes of road crashes.
He said members should be strategic thinkers and always ask themselves what could be done to prevent similar crashes from occurring in the future.
“It is not good enough to have the passion if you go and do rescue. After seeing the crash victim, the crashing and what has happened, the next question you should ask yourself, which will enable you to think, because as a good Regular or Special Marshal, you must be a good strategic thinker, is: what else would I do to prevent this crash so that it will not occur again?” he said.
Luka said such an approach would contribute to the FRSC’s target of reducing road crashes by 10 per cent, urging the new inductees to understand their operating environment.
He identified human beings, road conditions and other factors as part of the operating environment that Special Marshals must understand in order to make meaningful contributions to road safety.
According to him, the high rate of crashes along the Jos Road in Bauchi State remains a major concern, particularly around the unit and Zebra corridor.
“You know, the crashes there are so much. It is terrible. So, we must think: what else can we do extraordinarily to reduce these crashes?” he said.
Luka also expressed concern over crashes involving tipper lorries and trailers along the Maiduguri Road.
He recalled a recent crash in which nine people were burnt to death, describing the incident as a major concern for the FRSC.
“Just a couple of days ago, we lost nine people, burnt to ashes. It is a thing of concern. I want to bring this story so that we think of what is ahead of us, especially the new inductees. It is not good enough to go there and be doing rescue. Yes, it is a good thing, but we must think of other ways,” he said.
The Sector Commander said Special Marshals should engage in public education, research into the causes of crashes, accident investigation and road inspection as part of efforts to reduce fatalities.
“Anything we can do to solve this problem and reduce these carnages on the highways is welcome. Road Safety is looking at zero fatalities. That if the crash must occur, we shouldn’t have death. Zero. There shouldn’t be death,” he said.
He said the FRSC’s accident investigation team was working to determine the causes of the recent fatal crash involving the nine victims, with a view to preventing similar incidents.
Luka also stressed the importance of understanding and focusing on the operating environment, describing it as an essential component of effective road safety interventions.
He urged the Special Marshals to remain disciplined and be prepared to make sacrifices in terms of time and resources.
“You must discipline yourself as a person, then as an organisation. Most importantly is sacrifice. Sacrifice of time, sacrifice of resources, sacrifice of so many things,” he said.
He warned members to remain professional and “above board” even when confronted with frustrating or provocative situations.
“Look at Jos Road, look at Maiduguri Road, look at tipper lorries, trailers, and see how we can reduce these carnages,” Luka said while formally inducting the new members into the Special Marshals.
Speaking earlier, the State Coordinator of the Special Marshals, SM Godwin Obioha, told the new inductees that as a regimental organisation, members are expected to obey commands from the FRSC and do everything possible to protect and project the image of the Corps positively.
He said the organisation should not be taken lightly, as its primary objective is to serve humanity and save lives through effective participation in rescue operations and efforts to maintain safer roads.
Speaking on behalf of the new Special Marshals, Esam Mohammed assured that the new members would join hands with existing members to promote road safety and reduce crashes across the state.
The oaths of office and allegiance were administered to the new Special Marshals by the RS 12.1 Zonal Command.
