The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola has announced his intention to organize training for judicial officers on road safety cases from the magistrate to the highest level.
Justice Ariwoola stated this at the opening ceremony of the 11th Edition of the Kwapda’as Samson Rangna’an Dongban (KRSD) Foundation Annual Road Safety Press Conference in Abuja.
The foundation was set up by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem in honour of her first son who was killed by a hit-and-run driver in Jos, Plateau State.
The CJN said the training would be organized in synergy with the National Judicial Institute (NJI) where judicial offices would be properly trained and with support to victims of accidents on our roads.
“I plead with the generality of the public to be up and doing in providing assistance to victims of road accidents,” he said.
“Many at times if the needed assistance is provided many victims may not die.”
Speaking, Justice Dongban-Mensem bemoaned the socio-economic impact of road crashes and related injuries in Africa, especially in Nigeria with 6,000 deaths annually, and two deaths every four hours, caused mainly by bad road infrastructure.
She pleaded for more partnerships with NGOs, and private and corporate organsations towards achieving the goal of reducing road safety deaths and serious injuries is very important.
Former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, pointed out the need for Nigeria to adhere to the 10 percent of the country’s budget for road safety designs as the international standard.
