The leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were singled out for praises on Monday when hundreds of Nigerians trooped the streets of Abuja to hold a ‘thank you rally’ for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Led by the Civil Society Groups on Security Reforms in Nigeria, the Nigerians expressed gratitude to the president for his purposeful leadership in poverty alleviation, infrastructural development, agricultural reforms, corruption fight, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerians, the group’s convener, Comr. Dauda Owolabi Abdullateef, hailed Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi and his NSCDC counterpart, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, for embibing and replicateng the president’s quality leadership virtues.

Since his appointment in 2014, Abdullateef noted that the FRSC boss has carried out his responsibility with equanimity and sense of patriotism.

He said Dr Boboye has introduced numerous reforms that has finally returned the agency to the path of sanity and honour.

Among others, Abdullateef said there is now transparency, accountability and dedication in the FRSC, visible in the creation of anti-corruption app and National Traffic Radio (NTR).

In the NSCDC, meanwhile, the group said Dr Audi has filled the void provided by the overstretched security formations across the country, ensuring adequate security for the lives and properties of Nigerians.

Abdullateef said the NSCDC’s partnership with relevant security agencies has repelled bandits’ attacks across the country, thanks to the resilience and firm leadership of Dr Audi.

According to him, many schools in the North-West and North-East relied heavily on the security provided by the NSCDC to keep their schools open and students safe.

While passing a vote of confidence on President Buhari together with the duo, the Nigerians said the FRSC and NSCDC can do more with improved funding.

If this is done, Abdullahef further noted that there will be more quality reforms in the road traffic sector and enhanced cooperation between the NSCDC and other agencies, particularly now that the country is embroiled in security challenges.

The group, however, warned “misguided individuals” and “troublemakers” to quit their antics as it is distracting both leaders.

Read full statement below:

Today presents yet another opportunity to appreciate the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR for the purposeful leadership it has provided Nigerians since it’s inception in 2015.

Nigerians cannot thank Mr President enough for running a people-driven administration with special interest in poverty alleviation, infrastructural development, Agricultural reforms and corruption fight.

As a group with primary focus on security reforms in Nigeria, it will be an incurable oversight if we fail to also recognize the efforts of the current Leadership of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) of Nigeria and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in replicating the quality leadership of Mr President in their respective outfits.

It is on record that since the mantle of leadership of the FRSC fell on Dr Boboye Oyeyemi on July 24 2014, he has carried out his onerous responsibility with equanimity and sense of patriotism. He has introduced numerous reforms that has finally returned the agency to the path of sanity and honour. As the first Corpse Marshall to be appointed from the inside, he distinguished himself and harmonized the past mistakes of his predecessors, his experience and patriotism into building an FRSC that has become the pride of the nation. We invite fellow Nigerians to take a cursory look into Dr. Oyeyemi’s impressive use of modern technology to fight the corruption that has in the past, brought the organization to public ridicule and disrepute. Oyeyemi ensures that the commands are run efficiently on budgeted allocations, which are paid as regularly as the financial releases are made by the federal government to avoid a situation where the commanding officers and patrol teams could be tempted to compromise their responsibilities by resorting to illegal sources of funding their operations. Through this mechanism, commanding officers are sure of finances to routinely carry out repairs of their operational vehicles and other administrative costs without resort to self-help that could compromise them.

Oyeyemi has developed a workable framework that ensures that only stated fines are paid by violators and the corps under him, has continued to carry out series of sensitization programs to ensure members of the public do not fall prey to the corruption antics of overzealous members of the corps. And in further demonstrating its commitment to corruption-free society which aligns with the philosophy of the present administration, Oyeyemi-led Management went into partnership with an NGO known as Akin-Fadeyi Foundation to launch an anti-corruption App by which victims of corruption from members of the Corps can immediately activate and send report of the transactions to the FRSC Headquarters for immediate remedial action.

In furtherance of its policy on transparency, the present Management of Corps Marshal Oyeyemi last year established the National Traffic Radio (NTR) to provide ample opportunity for members of the public to not only get information on traffic updates and road conditions across the country, but report any negative encounter with members of the Corps including demand for bribes directly to the studios.

The traffic radio which has been in operation is providing direct access to members of the public through various communication tools for unhindered fight against impunity and corruption among the FRSC personnel and other incidents.

The FRSC under Corps Marshal Boboye Oyeyemi also earned international accolades for its efforts in reducing the accident rate in Nigeria to slightly above 2000, record low, in 2018.

In the NSCDC, the current Commandant General of the corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi has stepped into the gap of insecurity provided by the overstretched security formations across the country, to ensure adequate security for the lives and properties of Nigerians. The successes witnessed by the NSCDC in partnering with other relevant security agencies to relentlessly repel bandits attacks across the country has been attributed to the resilience and firm leadership of Abubakar Audi.

In the wake of the incessant kidnappings and bandit attacks in the North, many schools in the North-West and North-East relied heavily on the security provided by the NSCDC to keep their schools open and students safe.

In view of the performance of the two security outfits highlighted above and the need for more quality services to the nation, our group has resolved to use this opportunity to solicit for more funding to the duo of FRSC and NSCDC. If they can achieve all these with the scarcely adequate funds at their disposal, this group is confident that with more funding, there will be more quality reforms in the road traffic sector, while the NDCDC will be better placed to continue to partner with the relevant security outfits to provide adequate security for all Nigerians, particularly, now that the country is embroiled in insecurity challenges.

We also wish to use this opportunity to pass a vote of confidence on the leadership of FRSC and NSCDC for their good performances and assure them that Nigerians will not forget their records of excellence. We implore them to remain resolute in their patriotism and drive to discharge their duties to the best of their abilities.

Consequently, we wish to distance ourselves and the majority of Nigerians from the antics of some misguided individuals who has constituted themselves into willing tools to be used by enemies of this great nation to distract the leadership of FRSC and NSCDC from the good work they are doing. May we unequivocally warn these trouble-makers and meddlesome interlopers to steer clear of these agencies, else they incur the wrath of well-meaning Nigerians who are enjoying their good work and patriotism.