By: Monday Munkaila, Gombe
Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has declared that every time a road user loses confidence in the Corps, the mandate becomes harder to achieve.
The Corps Marshal also stated that, “Every act of unprofessionalism, unprofessional conduct that may damage the image of thousands of disciplined staff, and every abuse of authority weakens trust built on our reputation over the decades.”
He therefore lamented that over the past months, the Corps has observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism, and effective command and control in most field Commands across the country.
The assertion was made by the Corps Marshall, FRSC, Shehu Mohammed, at the opening ceremony of a programme titled : Sensitization Programme on Discipline Reinforcement and Strengthening of Command and Control in the Field Commands” held at FRSC, Gombe Sector Command.
Represented by Assistant Corps Mashal (ACM), Ezekiel SonAllah, the Corps Marshall stressed that, “These lapses have manifested as a misconduct, unethical practice, abuse of authority, Extortion, reckless enforcement behaviors, and other actions that contradict everything that this uniform represents, and that steadily erode public trust in the Corps.”
He stated, “I address you today in a deep sense of responsibility, confined and renewed commitment to the ideals upon which our great Corps was founded. This gathering is neither ceremonial nor routine. It is a deliberate moment of reflection, correction, and rededication to our duties and to the nation and the Nigerian people who we serve.”
According to him,”The promotion of Senior Officers to our Command is not by coincidence or administrative formality. It is a deliberate, strategic, and urgent intervention arising from recent operational reports that reveal trends we cannot and will not ignore.”
He stressed that,”This development demands immediate leadership presence, guidance, and corrective action to protect the integrity of our service.”
“Let me state clearly and without ambiguity that such behaviors are unacceptable. They relate our regulations, they violate our regulations, they betray our training, contradict our core values, and ultimately endanger the credibility and reputation of the Corps,” he added.
He further stressed that,”We must remind ourselves that the Corps was not created merely to enforce traffic laws. We are established to save lives and serve the public with integrity. Our authority flows directly from public trust, and once that trust is compromised, our effectiveness is compromised.”
The Corps Marshal added that, “This is why the present exercise is a corrective measure, not a witch hunt, but an opportunity for reorientation, reinforcement, and renewal. Senior officers deployed to your commands are here as mentors, leaders, and standard bearers. They will engage you, guide you, listen to you, and remind you of all of who we are and what we stand for.”
According to him,”Their mission is to strengthen discipline, reinforce leadership accountability, and restore effective command and control structure that guarantee professionalism at all times. Let me emphasize that discipline is not punishment.”
He explained that, “Discipline is protection. It protects our reputation, our careers, the Corps, and ultimately the lives of Nigerians who depend on us daily for professionalism. Therefore, it is not ultimate in this Corps, it is mandatory.”
According to him, “The public must see us as firm but fair, visible yet respectful, authoritative yet humane, efficient yet compassionate, enforcing this law without fear or favor and overform, and never for personal gain or intimidation.”
“Accordingly, extortion, harassment, and abuse of authority are not only illegal, but are direct betrayal of the oath we swore. Leadership responsibility begins with every superior officer, for you cannot demand discipline, if you do not demonstrate or enforce standards, you do more than that, leadership by example remains the strongest form of command, which is why the sensitization covers all levels from zonal to outpost, because culture is shaped from the top and extended to the bottom,” he added.
He added that,”To our young Officers and Marshals, remember that this uniform is a symbol of honor and must be worn with pride. As you conduct on the road and in public spaces, speaks louder than any public relations effort.”
He added, “To Commanding Officers and other Supervisors, you carry the greater burden to supervise actively, correct promptly, mentor consistently, and never tolerate misconduct in silence because silence in the face of wrongdoing is complicity.”
“Going forward, discipline will be strengthened, accountability enforced, ethical standards upheld, commendable conduct rewarded, and violations sanctioned with fairness and firmness. This exercise is no doubt about fear, but it’s not about fear, but responsibility, and about punishment, but restoration,” he added.
The Corps Marshall added that, “No doubt, fault-finding, but what about building a stronger corps, our immediate remains sacred, safeguarding lives and property on our roads, and every patrol operation interaction must reflect competence, integrity, respect for human dignity.”
He stressed, “I dare for all of you to approach the exercise with open minds, listening attentively, engage honestly, learn deliberately, and adjust willingly. Let this be a turning point where we commit, recommit to excellence, restore the highest standards of discipline, reinforce command and control, rebuild public confidence, and together make our call an enduring symbol of professionalism and integrity.”
Earlier, Gombe State Sector Commander, CC Samson Kaura, welcomed the ACM and stressed the importance of the programme for staff to pay attention.
He then gave the affirmation of good conduct on behalf of staff of RS3. 2 Gombe.
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