Petroleum company holds summit to end road crashes in Nigeria

Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) on Thursday in a stakeholders’ summit in Port Harcourt cautioned drivers against over speeding on Nigerian roads.

Mr Igo Weli,SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations, who declared the event open in Port Harcourt, said that the company wanted to encourage road safety in the country.

He said that the company was particularly worried about spate of accidents that occur on the nation’s highways on daily basis.

According to him, many of the road accidents would have been avoided if drivers have the requisite skills and take serious the safety of their passengers.

“In SPDC, health safety is a priority, in such that, it comes ahead of production of crude oil and other of our businesses. We believe that health is wealth.

“Today, our focus is on drivers’ health and road safety which is key element to maintaining sanity and reducing accidents on our road.

“We are passionate about this because drivers move us and millions of Nigerians by road on a daily basis.” he said.

Weli also said that the nation must create enabling business environment for investors and companies to invest in critical sectors of the economy and create jobs.

He added that frequent accidents on the roads could hinder bid to woo global brands and companies to the country.

“That is why we invited state Ministries of Transport, Health, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Federal Road Safety Corps, the media and other stakeholders to discuss and sensitise drivers.

“Also, the focus of the meeting is to reach the policy makers to take decisions that would make it easier for people at the lower level to achieve this objective,” he said.

He urged companies and non-governmental organisations to create programmes that would drive safety consciousness among drivers.

Also speaking, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone 6, FRSC, Mr Kingsley Agomoh, said that speed violation was among the major causes of accidents in Nigeria.

“The driver plays a major role in safety on the roads. When a driver does the right thing, then there will not be accidents on the roads.

“So, we are constantly talking to drivers on the importance of behaving well and driving according to rules to avert road crashes,” he said.

The Rivers Branch Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Mr Ominiayebagha Kalango, said that the union would continue to sanction members found driving under the influence of substances.