Lafarge partners FRSC, VIO for safety in Cross River

Cement manufacturer, Lafarge Africa Plc has partnered with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) in Cross River State to promote safety awareness in the state.

The Road Safety Awareness Campaign, as the initiative is being called, will provide training and employment of about 16 young people in various parts of Cross River to work as road marshals in two local government areas in Cross River State.

Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Lafarge’s director of Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development noted in a statement to BusinessDay that the initiative was part of the company’s corporate social investments in the area of safety.

The communities that will be benefiting from the campaign include those located within Akpabuyo and Akamkpa local government areas.

The objective of the campaign is to increase safety consciousness as well as encourage the involvement of regular residents in road safety management in the state, according to Bruno Hounkpati, Logistic Director for Lafarge Africa Plc.

“Lafarge Africa Plc is in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) in Cross River State to facilitate the safety awareness campaign in the area. Lafarge Africa will pay the wages of all the newly recruited community road marshals,” Hounkpati said.

Lafarge statement further stated that community road marshals once appointed will serve as first respondents to issues pertaining to road challenges and also give traffic directions to trucks and other road users. They will also facilitate timely dissemination of information and quicken the response time when there are emergency incidents on the road.

“The road safety awareness campaign involves educating and training all road users on the safe use of roads including how to interpret roads signs either as a motorist, motor cyclist or pedestrians. Over 250 community members including motorcycle riders popularly called Okada have benefitted from the awareness programme.

“All the Okada riders received crash helmets and reflective vest from Lafarge Africa Plc to enhance their safety on the road at any time of the day,” Lafarge stated.