... CIOTA inducts new members at LASU Transport Confab
Cdr 'Seni Ogunyemi, Commander General/CEO, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE and the Southwest Coordinator of CIOTA, has called for increase in the level of compliance to road safety regulations by motorists, pedestrians and every road user to stem the spate of road crashes across the Country.
The Southwest Coordinator gave the advise through Mr Ajibade Adekunle the Ogun State Chairman of CIOTA on Wednesday at a Transport and Logistic Transport conference organised by CIOTA in collaboration with the Lagos State University (LASU) and the Nigeria Army College of Logistics and Management (NACOLM), held at the School of Transport and Logistics Studies of the Lagos State University.
The conference with the theme; Safety and Security in the Transportation Sector: The way forward.' was designed to address the twin issues of security and safety in the transportation sector.
Cdr 'Seni Ogunyemi, noted that the twin issues of safety and security in the transportation sector cannot be over-emphasised, adding that safety on the road begins with obeying traffic rules.
He frowned at overloading, stressing that some articulated vehicle owners and drivers indulged in flouting the rules on tonnage of goods required to be carried by their vehicles, stressing such vehicles expected to carry 30 tonnes, ended up carrying between 60 tonnes and 90 tonnes.
He explained that this put unnecessary pressure on the roads surface, leading ultimately to their collapse.
He said, "What we experience concerning our roads is systemic failure. There is a rule that says no articulated vehicle should carry more than 30 tonnes of goods, but you see some of them carrying between 60 tonnes and 90 tonnes.
"This puts undue pressure on the road and the road dies like human beings due to these excessive loads."
He equally rooted for inter-agency collaborations among the road safety and security agencies, stating such synergy promotes healthy rivalry and efficiency.
In her welcome address, Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, the Vice-Chancellor, LASU, who was represented by Prof. Charles Asenime, Dean School of Transport and Logistics, commended CIOTA for its pursuit of professionalism in the transport business.
She said the institution was open to collaborating with CIOTA in the area of training of the students of School of Transport and Logistics in achieving professionalism and advancing their career in the transport sector.
Prof.Samuel Odewunmi, a guest speaker at the conference reiterated that transportation is the lifeblood of the economy, but lamented that the National Transport Policy has remained in limbo since 1993 unimplemented.
He noted that across all modes of transportation, "there is absence of comprehensive data, poor enforcement, inadequate funding and fragmented governance, making strategic planning a Herculean task."
On ensuring safety on the rail lines, he advised the management of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, to incorporate the farmers along the railway routes into its system, "give them low cost phones and tell them to report any threats they see along the routes to the dedicated lines of NRC. That way insecurity and sabotage will be nipped in the bud."
Prince Segun Obayendo, noted that there is the need to change everything about transportation, adding that CIOTA was ready to collaborate with organisations, institutions and sub nationals to ensure safety and security in the nation's transportation sector.
Another guest speaker, Group Captain John Ojikutu(retd), talked about safety and security in the aviation sector, listing the layers of security in that sector to include Intelligence, Passenger pre-screening, Airport Access Control,Passenger checkpoint screening, passenger checked baggage screening,Cargo screening, and On-boarding Security."
Major General Wisdom Etuk , the Commandant, Nigeria Army College of Logistics and Management,NACOLM, commended CIOTA and stated that safety and regulatory compliance are key.
He advised stakeholders to prioritise safety by invest in modern technology to ensure sustainability in transportation sector.
Other highlights of the event were the induction of members and fellows into CIOTA, and new members included scores of students of School of Transport and Logistics,LASU and presentation of awards to deserving personalities.
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