FRSC urged to uphold integrity, professionalism ahead of Christmas operations
Officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have been urged to reinvent and uphold the legacy of integrity and service exemplified by the founding chairman of the commission, Professor Wole Soyinka, as they intensify enforcement of road safety codes ahead of the Christmas celebrations.
The call was made during the annual Ember Months Public Enlightenment and Sensitisation Campaign and Town Hall Meeting organised on Sunday by the FRSC Kano Sector Command, which drew stakeholders from government, transport unions, and the private sector.
Delivering a goodwill message, Danyaro Ali Yakasai, former Acting Corps Marshal of the FRSC and currently Special Adviser on Policy and Social Development to the Kano State Governor, noted that the annual event was designed to enhance public awareness and compliance with road safety regulations during the high-traffic festive period.
Yakasai commended the FRSC for maintaining its high operational standards and achievements, noting that the personnel of the Kano Sector Command, in particular, have demonstrated diligence and commitment that have contributed immensely to reducing road crashes and ensuring safer highways across the state.
Reflecting on the origins of the FRSC, Yakasai offered an insightful recollection of the Corps’ formative years and the visionary leadership of its pioneer chairman, Professor Wole Soyinka, Nigeria’s Nobel Laureate.
He described Soyinka’s tenure as a golden era marked by discipline, integrity, and patriotism, qualities that remain instructive for public service today.
“Professor Wole Soyinka never collected a kobo as salary or allowance from the FRSC. He also refused even tea or coffee and never used any FRSC vehicle as an official car. His commitment was purely out of service to humanity and nationhood. That is the kind of leadership we must strive to emulate,” Yakasai said.
He emphasised that Soyinka’s selfless service set a moral compass for public administration—a stark contrast to the entitlement culture that has since crept into many public institutions. “Soyinka showed us that public office is not a place for personal gain but for sacrifice and nation-building,” he added.
Yakasai further commended the successive chairmen, governing council members, and corps marshals who have upheld the ideals upon which the FRSC was founded. According to him, their collective efforts have sustained the Corps as a model of excellence in Africa’s road safety management landscape.
He made a passionate appeal to the present Corps Marshal to commission a comprehensive study on tricycle operators (Keke Napep) across the nation, and questioned their current classification as either “drivers” or “riders” and highlighted their growing involvement in traffic accidents.
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Danyaro recommended that proper licencing, orientation, and regulation of the sector be prioritised to curb road incidents and enhance safety.
In a broader context, he expressed gratitude to Nigeria’s leaders — both past and present — who have supported the FRSC’s mission, while, especially, thanking General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtd.), under whose administration the FRSC was established in 1988.
The event underscored the FRSC’s enduring role as not just a regulatory agency but also a moral institution, inspired by the ideals of service and sacrifice exemplified by its founding fathers. As Nigeria navigates the challenges of modern transport management, the lessons from Professor Wole Soyinka’s era — humility, discipline, and integrity — remain more relevant than ever.
