The Corps Marshal of the Federal Roads Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, on Tuesday clarified that contrary to whatever misgivings, the recent deployment of senior officers to State Commands is a deliberate, strategic and urgent intervention that must be done to correct rising abnormalities.
This is just as the Corps warned both officers and men to stop the attitude of looking down on eminent men and women who constitute membership of Special Marshal Unit nationwide.
He said rather, the complimentary roles the Special Marshals are playing, is far more significant than what anybody can quantify, and that any attempt to relegate them as doing nothing or standing for nothing, is dangerous.
He made these known in Ado-Ekiti, while addressing officers and men of the Corps, during an official visit to the command, saying the action, arose from recent operational reports that revealed trends that can not be ignored, “and will not ignore”.
According to the Corps Marshal, who was represented by Corps Commander Barbara Ekpekpe, ” these developments demand immediate leadership presence, guidance and corrective action, to protect the integrity of our service”.
” Over the past months, we have observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism and effective command and control in most field commands.
” These lapses have manifested as gross misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours and other actions that contradict everything our uniform represents, and that steadily erode public trust in the Corps.
” Let me state here clearly and without any ambiguity that such behaviours are unacceptable. They violate our regulations, betray our trainings, contradict our core values and ultimately endanger the credibility and reputation of the Corps.
” Everytime a road user loses confidence in us, our mandate becomes harder to achieve, every act of unprofessional conduct, endanger the image of thousands of disciplined staff, and every abuse of authority, weakens the trust , built over decades”.
Continuing, he said, ” the senior officers, deployed to the various commands are there , basically as mentors, leaders and standard bearers. Listen to them and take instructions, knowing fully well that discipline is not punishment, discipline is protection, it protects our reputation.
” Accordingly, extortion, harassment and abuse of authority are not only illegal but a direct betrayal of the oath we swore.”
Speaking earlier, the National Welfare Officer of the Special Marshal Unit of the Corps, Chief Folake Anike Adebayo, emphasised that since inception, the unit, has continually occupied strategic and most reliable position in the job of safeguarding the roads, for public safety.
Mrs Adebayo lamented that despite the huge contributions of the special Marshal Unit to road safety project across the country, only a few dedicated and committed Nigerians are still enlisted, asking other able men and women of substance to join the forrey, by deploying their energy and resources.
