Ben Ezechime, Enugu
The Enugu State Government, in collaboration with MTN Nigeria Communications PLC, has set up a taskforce on traffic and security management on Enugu-Onitsha Highway to mitigate accidents, insecurity and traffic congestion.
The taskforce is saddled with ensuring lane integrity and drivers adhering to traffic rules/regulations along Enugu State section of the Highway.
This was a fallout of fuel tanker accidents in which scores of persons were burnt to death on the road’s Ugwu-Onyeama axis.
The Principal Consultant of Community Liaison Initiative (CLI) to MTN, Engr. Chris Okoye, told newsmen in Enugu on Tuesday after the Task-Force inaugural meeting that setting up of the taskforce had become imperative and compelling.
Okoye, the Chairman of Crown Crest Global Engineers (CCGE), noted with disgust the flagrant disregard for lane integrity and the basic rules of driving by trailer and tanker drivers along the 9th Mile to Ugwu-Onyeama axis of the Highway.
“The taskforce was predicated upon the directive of Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State that all vehicles plying this section of the Highway must maintain lane integrity and conform to traffic laws until both lanes in the Highway are put in good order.
“Consequently, CCGE/CLI took the initiative to ensure the governor’s directives are carried out in order to prevent another fatal accident along this axis of the Highway.
“The essence of the joint taskforce is to create a synergy among stakeholders on traffic and security in Enugu State to ensure the enforcement of 100 per cent compliance to lane integrity on the entire road.
“This is especially between 9th Mile to 82 Division Junction corridor of the road,” he said.
Okoye said that the joint taskforce would also ensuring the implementation of the anti-spill lock for petrol tankers and trucks plying the road “as directed by the Enugu State Government.”
Commenting on the “New Smart Road Concept,” Okoye said that MTN wanted to ensure the road is a Smart Road; thus, having road furniture and technology; which included solar-powered lights, security cameras and others.
He noted that Smart Roads are in vogue the world over and well fashioned for good traffic management and security.
He said, “The Enugu-Onitsha dual carriageway (Highway) is planned to be a freeway to encourage a free flow of traffic from one end to the other end.
“When completed, there will be no difference between day and night times driving as there are plans to deploy solar-powered lights right from Enugu to Onitsha.
“CCTV Surveillance Cameras will be deployed along the length of the road in which Command and Control rooms are already installed by the Enugu State Government to monitor activities on the road.
“Checkpoints will no longer be needed as the Smart Road Concept is fully adopted, instead lots of security patrols will be encouraged to guard against a situation where checkpoints slow down traffic on the Highway.”
In attendance at the meeting included: Major U.E. Joseph, representing the Garrison Commander, 82 Division, Nigerian Army Enugu; Sector Commander of FRSC in Enugu State, Mr Franklin Agbakoba and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mr Oliver Odimega, representing Commissioner of Police.
Others are: Senior Special Assistant on Security, Government House Enugu, Mr Vincent Onyeabor; Senior Assistant on Special Duty in Enugu State Ministry of Transport (ESMOT), Dr Jude Okolo, who represented Enugu State Commissioner for Transport and SP Innocent Omeje, State Traffic Officer, Enugu State Police Command.
The rest are: the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) 9th Mile, CSP Philip Nwazi; the Commander of ESMOT Traffic Squad, Mr Kenneth Ugwu; Chief Resident Engineer of CCGE, Mr Okey Udeh and Dr R. Facah, Coordinator CLI in CCGE among others.
It would be recalled that the telecommunication giant, MTN, is funding the Enugu-Onitsha Highway construction through the Federal Government novel Road Infrastructure Tax Credit Scheme (RITCS).
