The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), yesterday launched “Operation Eagle Eye’’ to sensitize road users in Ekiti State on the need to embrace safety measures during the Christmas and new year cerebration.
Other agencies at the launch of the operation, which took place at the Fajuyi park area of Ado Ekiti, included the Nigeria Fire Service and the Red Cross Society.
The NEMA Head of Operations in Ekiti, Osun and Ondo states, Mr Olarewawaju Kadiri who spoke on behalf of other agencies, warned motorists against dangerous driving, drink-driving before and during the yuletide.
Kadiri who was represented at the event by Head of Search and Rescue Unit, Ekiti Operations Unit, Mr Simisaye Azeez added that the sensitization programme would last for six days.
“We are here this morning to flag off our annual ember months campaign tagged Operation eagle eye. The essence of the operation is to sensitise motorists during this ember period, particularly for Christmas and New Year to sensitise motorists on dangers in reckless driving during this period.
“Mostly, there is heavy vehicular movement at this time of the year because of the Christmas celebration and most of this heavy vehicular movement is always accompanied by traffic crashes, our purpose for being here today is to sensitise people and also to monitor the situation of traffic on our motorways to make sure we have accident-free celebrations.
“Prior to this time, NEMA has always been at the peak in terms of preparedness for any form of disaster. few months back, also in preparation for this exercise, the agency acquired additional search and rescue equipment, we have extrication equipment and these are equipment that are used to rescue victims of road traffic crashes.
“For human resources, we have continued ceaseless synergy with response stakeholders. Here now, we have FRSC, Federal Fire Service, Red Cross, NSCDC. in order to ensure we have a good response, our preparedness with our key stakeholders has always been very key. we always have regular meetings with them to make sure we prepare very well in order to be able to mitigate incidents on accident scenes.
“For Ekiti, it is always here at Fajuyi, while we are flagging it off here this morning, we have places that have been identified by the FRSC as hot spots. these are where accidents are prone in Ekiti State, in the course of these festive seasons, we will be patrolling those axes to make sure to ensure there wont be more than minimum accidents along that road, to monitor the situation there and to respond if need be.”