FG to collaborate with Sierra Leone on road safety – SGF

The Federal Government has pledged to collaborate with the Sierra Leone government in its drive to ensure safety on the country’s roads.

The Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, said this during a courtesy visit by the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) on Friday in Abuja.

The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority is the lead Road Safety Management Agency in Sierra Leone.

It has the responsibility to regulate and develop road transport sector in Sierra based on an Act of Parliament in 1996 setting it up.

Mustapha commended the team for understudying Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to sustain standard road traffic administration in Sierra Leone.

He noted that safety of lives and property were collective efforts, adding that the Federal Government would look into training the officers and men of SLRSA in managing road traffic in their country.

According to him, safety of African roads should be a collaborative effort. “The Federal Government is willing to assist and support you in achieving your desired goals.

“A lot has been put into Nigeria road safety and management. Road carnage is a major cause of death. We will be happy to receive Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority for training.

“We appreciate your coming to Nigeria and hope after now, you take all that will be gotten back to Sierra Leone, do make best use of them,” he said.

Earlier, the Executive Director, SLRSA, Mr Ibrahim Sannoh, said the aim of the visit was to strengthen bilateral relations with the FRSC.

Sannoh commended Nigeria’s support for Sierra Leone so far, saying that SLRSA wanted to also benefit from capacity building like infrastructure, driver’s license among others.

“We study the FRSC’s website and we will continue to study it. We are here to understudy the strides made so far especially in the drivers license sector.

“We plead for logistics support, especially on the post crash mechanisms. Accident ratio increases yearly in Sierra Leone. We want FRSC to be sole supplier of signage for Sierra Leone,” he said.

It was reported that the team, which is on a week-long working visit, is expected to embark on a tour of FRSC facilities such as the FRSC Academy, Udi Enugu State, License and Road Signage workshop, Printing Room and other utilities.

Sannoh was accompanied by SLRSA’s top officials such as its Director of License, Mrs Hassanatu J. Mansaray and others.