BY JONATHAN NDA-ISAIAH
ON a typical day, I’d laugh off another harebrained scheme from our lawmakers. But this? This takes the cake.
Our esteemed house of representatives has just passed the second reading of a bill to arm Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials. You heard that right. The folks who hide behind bends to catch you for expired papers and drivers license now want to do it with guns.
Let’s take a moment to digest this absurdity. In a country already drowning in illegal weapons – over 350 million according to the UN – someone thought, “You know what we need? More guns!” Brilliant. Because clearly, what’s missing from our daily commute is the thrill of possibly being shot over a broken tail light.
Do we need another armed force on our streets? I don’t think so. Our past experiences with armed officials are gathering dust in one morgue or the other right now. I won’t be surprised to hear of an FRSC official shooting a driver for refusing to stop. It’s happened with the police, hasn’t it?
The FRSC claims too many of their officials have been killed by drivers. Well, maybe if they weren’t playing hide and seek at every dark corner, more interested in generating revenue, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
What exactly will they use these guns for? To shoot motorists who refuse to stop? We’ve had too many cases of “accidental discharge” already. Remember the policeman who shot a driver over N20? Now imagine that scenario, but with FRSC officials at every major junction.
Come to think of it, have the FRSC really achieved what they were created for? Despite a slight reduction in road traffic fatalities in 2023, with 5,081 deaths reported by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) compared to 6,456 in 2022, the overall death toll remains alarming.
Nigeria has one of the highest road fatality rate globally, with 33.7 deaths per 100,000 people, far above the global average of 17.4. But sure, let’s give them guns. That’ll solve everything, right?
Trust our politicians to always major in the minor. Instead of addressing the real issues plaguing our roads – poor infrastructure, inadequate signage, corruption – they’re busy turning traffic stops into potential shootouts.
Let’s put it this way: what happens when an FRSC official, drunk on newfound power, decides to play Rambo with a stubborn driver? It’s a slippery slope to anarchy.
I completely agree that we need to improve the safety of FRSC officials. But arming them? That’s like trying to put out a fire with petrol.
Here’s a wild idea: how about we give them proper training, better equipment, and actually hold them accountable for doing their jobs? Crazy, I know.
The truth is, no amount of firearms will fix the rot in our road safety system. Even with the worsening insecurity in the country and our solution is to arm… traffic officials? Talk about misplaced priorities.
Politicians on both sides of the divide need to put their heads together and think this through. Arming the FRSC won’t make our roads safer; it’ll just make them scarier.
Consequently, the FRSC should be focusing on reducing accidents, not increasing their body count. They need cameras, not guns. Better road signs, not bullets.
Let’s be clear: forgiveness might be divine, but giving guns to FRSC officials is just asinine. It has never worked, and I don’t think it will work now. It’s an insult to the citizens who just want to get to work without fearing for their lives.
We can’t even be thinking of arming the FRSC when we haven’t sorted out the mess with our existing security forces. Boko Haram is still a threat, bandits are having a field day in the northwest, and we’re worried about giving guns to traffic officers?
In my opinion, this bill is a spectacular own goal. It’s time our lawmakers stopped scoring against their own people and started addressing the real issues. Until then, I’ll be here, hoping I don’t get shot for a broken headlight.
So let’s pump the brakes on this armed FRSC nonsense. Nigeria’s got 99 problems, but unarmed road safety officials ain’t one.
Let’s focus on real solutions, not just adding more chaos to our already chaotic roads. After all, the only shooting we should be doing on our highways is shooting for better road safety stats. Now that’s a target worth aiming for.
