By Raymond Benson (KMCO Abia LIFE-ND.)

The drivers of Abia Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises, Niger Delta, (LIFE-ND), yesterday, September 18, 2022, went through defensive driving and sight enhancement lessons for optimal performance of their assignments.

The one-day training which was organized by the Project management in Umuahia, the state, also had all the technical, support and Subject Specialist staff in attendance.

PHOTO: Participants of the training, receiving lectures.

Addressing the participants, the State Administration and Logistics Officer, Mr. Wisdom Ukonu said it was mandatory for all staff to participate in the training, noting that safety on the roads, was not the exclusive preserve of the drivers.

PHOTO: Mr. Wisdom Ukonu , State Administration and Logistics Officer.

Mr. Ukonu emphasized on the importance of identifying all the “red flags” on the roads, safety precautions, identifying an errant driver, and advising for early application of cautions to save lives.

Commenting on the eye test, he said,
“Vision is key when it comes to driving. That’s why primarily, we targeted the drivers who are supposed to foresee dangers and take early precautions. That’s why the doctor is taking special attention on them.”

Mr. Ukonu, attaching the importance of the exercise, noted the preparedness of the Project to foot any accruing bills from the vision enhancement, to forestall any impaired vision that would be detrimental to lives, adding that the exercise would routinely be implemented four times within the life of the project.

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While delivering defensive driving lessons, the Assistant Road Safety Route Commander, incharge of public enlightenment, Mr. Madukwe Ndubuisi A, acknowledged poor usage of roads by drivers and pedestrians alike, and advised for the observation, understanding and obedience of various signs, signals and markings to escape avoidable crashes resulting to loss of lives and injuries.

PHOTO: Mr. Madukwe Ndubuisi A, Assistant Road Safety Route Commander.

He said that the Road Safety Commission in liaison with the Federal Government had observed that 90 percent of the road crashes were due to excessive speed, making the introduction of “speed limit device” necessary for all highways and built-up areas.

He enjoined all drivers to constantly limit their speed to 100 km/h, for possible manoeuvres during emergencies, noting that the introduction of this device in the last two years, had minimized the rate of crashes and fatalities on the roads.

He also advised against the use of fake or fairly-used tyres, enjoining the drivers not to patronize quark marketers, but to insist on production date of tyres before purchasing them.

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According to him,
“On every tyre, it’s inscribed, the manufacturing year. The National Road Traffic Regulation, has approved four years maximum for the tyres; just add four years to manufacturing year, to determine the expiration date, but usage doesn’t include when it wears off before the date,” he cautioned.

The Chief Road Traffic Officer, Mrs. Margaret Ngozi Sunday, also identified, environmental, mechanical and medical cases as major factors leading to accidents, including lack of precautionary measures before moving the vehicles on the roads.

PHOTO: Mrs. Margaret Ngozi Sunday, Chief Road Traffic Officer.

An optician, Dr. (Mrs.), Ngozi Chibuzor Arisa, advised participants to always go for eye checkups to avoid sudden blindness, adding that eating fruits and vegetables would enhance vision and eradicate hypertension, diabetes and other diseases.

PHOTO: Dr. (Mrs.), Ngozi Chibuzor Arisa , An optician.

A Project driver, Mr. Ikechukwu Onwuchekwa while asking for the continuity, acknowledged the exercise to be laudable and refreshing.

LIFE-ND is the brainchild of Federal Government, International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, State Governments to create 4,250 jobs, in each nine Niger Delta states, for sustainable food security, job creation for youths, Women-head households including the physically challenged.

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