By Alumona Ukwueze

The Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, weekend, said that insecurity is claiming more lives on Nigerian roads than rickety vehicles and bad roads.

Professor Okolie further stated that the resurgent cases of kidnapping, armed robbery and banditry have caused Nigerians more deaths than the already terrible state of our roads.

He made the remarks when the marshals of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Ozalla Unit Command, Enugu State, paid a familiarization visit to the ESUT Management to introduce their new Unit Commander, Ozioma Okeke.

Professor Okolie further bemoaned the level of hardship in the country adding that inflation and cost of living have plunged the citizens into abject poverty and  depression.

He however, commended FRSC for their relentless efforts in ensuring safety of Nigerians on the roads, urging the marshalls to safeguard themselves while chasing Nigerian road users who are already depressed due to the level of hardship in the country, adding that ESUT would collaborate with FRSC, Ozalla Unit Command on areas of critical importance.

Earlier, while addressing the ESUT Management, the new Unit Commander, Okeke, who led other officers including the Senior Route Commander,  Friday Inyang, the Protocol Officer, U O Chibuko  among others,   lauded the cordial relationship existing between FRSC and the University.

She equally called for enrollment of ESUT Staff into ‘Special Marshal’ scheme of the agency, ( a voluntary service) to help maintain safety on the roads, just as she stressed the need for appointment  of a Safety Manager in the University charged with the responsibility of keeping and deploying rescue materials to areas of need as well as ensuring periodic inspection of the university vehicles.

The Commander equally stated the need for training and re-training of drivers in the University and for workshops and other capacity building trainings for the staff of the University.