Samuel Bello, Abuja

Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, has urged fleet operators and other road transportation stakeholders under the auspices of Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to constrain transportation of adulterated products in the country.

Oyeyemi made the call during the opening ceremony of the National Executive Council (NEC)/ State Chairmen Meeting held in Abuja.

According to the FRSC boss, in the last three months, tanker drivers have been seen transporting tomatoes and firewood without considering the implications it might have on Nigerians.

“The problems with tankers and trailers has reduced in terms of accidents and other hazards, but in the last three months again we started seeing the tankers carrying tomatoes and firewood.
Most tomatoes hawk poisons because of the fumes of the petrol. It’s not healthy for consumption and that is why we see outbreak of cholera because those tomatoes on top of the tankers are not fit for consumption and it’s one of the issues that NARTO must take a firm stand to warn the drivers.

“Same thing with firewood, the fumes can cause a minor explosion because it has an additional energy force. NARTO must put their feet down and warn those drivers not to be loading tomatoes and firewood.
Oyeyemi, while stressing on the exigency to curb the menace of adulterated products, also advised members of NARTO to reduce the issue of high trips, saying the present rainy season has recorded several catastrophic events.

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“Now it’s rainy season, i want to advice members on the issue of high trips for now because the wind effect has been dropping trees and other erected things. It took all the effort for us to fix the menace and

I know more would still happen and these drivers need to be careful.
“Drivers should also be careful at night because the implication is that it would affect people and the goods they are carrying

Responding, the National President of NARTO, Kassim Bataiya, pledged the association’s support to ensure sufficient protection of lives by curbing lawlessness associated with its tanker drivers.
He added that the association had put in place measures to ensure the involvement of the private sector to curb the menace in different states.

He further implored NARTO members to ensure sufficient interest in taking over some of these roads

“It is clear that government cannot take the responsibility of maintaining them therefore private sector involvement is key for partnership arrangement.

“The essence is to awaken your entrepreneurial skills and adopt investment plan to further strengthen the safety measures of Nigerians.
All these things would soon change with privatization of the sector. All these would soon end when we bring in the private sector within the core investors.