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•Donates zebra crossing to Rivers school
Emma Ovundah
The Rivers State Government as been urged to prioritize road safety measures, particularly in areas with high vehicular traffic, to reduce fatality rates among school children.
The call was made by the President-elect of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Gateway, Benneth Emeruwa during the donation of a zebra crossing project for Community Secondary School Rumueprikom in Port Harcourt.
Emeruwa urged the government to replicate the initiative across all schools along major highways in the state.
He highlighted the challenges faced by school children in crossing highways, emphasizing that such efforts would drastically reduce road accidents involving school children, even as he announced plans to replicate the zebra crossing project in other public schools across Nigeria.
He said the project titled “Zebra Crossing, Road Safety Management and Awareness Campaign” was carried out by the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Gateway, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Creekview, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt East, Rotary Club of Greater Port Harcourt in partnership with City Club of Port Harcourt, the Benneth Emeruwa Foundation and the Federal Road Safety Corps.
He said, “If what we have done today is being replicated by the state government across all schools along major highways, I’m sure that fatality rates from road accidents involving school children will drastically reduce,” Emeruwa said.
He further stated that if the government fails to prioritize citizens’ lives, especially children, it raises questions about their importance to the government.
“My advice to the government of Rivers State is that they should look into things like these, zebra crossing for schools along federal and state highways where motorists ply with speed.
“If the government can on their own set up these road signs and sensitize the people, such little efforts will reduce these road accidents involving school children because if the citizens lives are not important to the government, who then will they rule?
“The Benett Emeruwa Foundation has plans to replicate this in other public schools. We are already in talk with schools in Abia, Anambra and even Lagos State for the benefit of all Nigerians. The intention of the zebra crossing project is to reduce fatality rate especially for our leaders of tomorrow.”
Similarly, the Chancellor, City Club of Port Harcourt, Barr. Asim Adams, emphasized the importance of zebra crossings in ensuring pedestrians’ safety.
Adams commended the inventor of zebra crossings, James Gallagher, and called for increased collaboration between stakeholders to promote road safety.
“We are partnering with Rotary Club on this zebra crossing and we are going to partner more with them on awareness on road safety and management. A lot of people have lost their lives while trying to cross the road, many people do not even know what the zebra crossing means.
“I personally salute the inventor of zebra crossing, James Gallagher, a British parliamentarian. We are all road users, whether we drive or walk on the road. The zebra crossing marks stipulates that vehicles must slow down for pedestrians to cross, failure of which attract severe consequence.”
Also, the Exchequer, City Club of Port Harcourt, Deacon Israel Nnah, pledged to continue creating awareness on road safety through partnerships with FRSC and other organizations.
Nnah advised road users to always be watchful of vehicles before crossing the road, irrespective of the road marks like zebra crossing.
“We will continue to create and sustain awareness on road safety, we will partner with FRSC by visiting various motor parks within Port Harcourt and possibly outside Port Harcourt on sensitisation.
Speaking on behalf of FRSC, Assistant Route Commander Teilo Chimaobi Ojukwu, reiterated the significance of zebra crossings in preventing accidents and saving lives, and assured of continued Enlightenment of road users on roads signs particularly zebra crossing.
“Zebra crossing is a road marking sign. We have the white zebra mark for easy flow of traffic and for the safety of road users especially the pedestrians; Zebra crossing is essential for safety.”
