Benjamin Omoike l Friday, November 24, 2017
IKEJA,Lagos – The Lagos state government in conjunction with Lagos Traffic Radio 96.1FM, has started an advocacy to check incidents of drink-driving, resulting in fatalities among drivers in the state during the end-of-year festivities.
According to Kofoworola Awobamise, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Strategy, while speaking at the official flag off of the Road Show at the Lagos Traffic Radio office complex in Agidingbi, Ikeja, on Friday; she said the event was a welcome development, especially coming at this crucial time of the year.
“For me this is a welcome advocacy, especially at this time of the ember months usually associated with accidents. Like the G.M has said, accidents do not come as a result of the name of the months but as a result of careless driving. A lot of the careless driving we get is as a result of drink-driving.
“Basically, what we’re saying is that you should not drink while driving and if you must drink, don’t drive. It’s a message to all Lagosians. You do not have to drink and drive if we’re to take accidents of our roads. It’s a very good initiative and we must say kudos, first to His Excellency, to have allowed this to happen at the Traffic Radio, and to the G.M and his wonderful team for putting this together and to let the whole world know that Lagos is working and we’re out to minimise deaths on our roads,” she said.
On his part, the General Manager of Lagos Traffic Radio, Layinka Adagun, who was highly elated, said what was being done by reason of the Road Show, simply was to complement what other sister radio stations were doing as regards forestalling accidents on Lagos roads.
“This is just to complement the ember months campaign by similar organisations, and we’re just emphasising drink driving. Because this has been the main cause of accidents at this time of the year, not ember months. So, we’re trying to help the society demystify the ember months by saying ‘don’t drink and drive’. When you don’t drink and drive, you’ll find that there’ll be less accidents in the ember months,” he said.
On how the programme of events would pan out and the choice of motor parks as focus, he had this to say.
“We’re picking motor parks across the zones of Lagos. We’re starting today (Friday 24 November) with Berger and we’d end up in Ikeja. Next week we will go to Iyana Ipaja down to Iyana Oba. The week after, we’ll go from Mazaza to Kola area. We’ll still go to Ojota, Ketu and Ikorodu. The last lap will be from CMS to Ajah before wrapping it up at Epe,” he said.
