Gov. Abba Yusuf of Kano State has directed all the Commissioners reassigned in the recent cabinet reshuffle to ensure a smooth handover and assumption of duty before the close of office hours on Tuesday.

Yusuf, who issued the directive through his spokesperson, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, said the cabinet changes would take full effect during the next meeting of the State Executive Council on Wednesday.

He emphasised the need for the completion of all the transition processes before then.

“All the commissioners affected by the changes are directed to hand over their responsibilities between Monday, 16th and Tuesday, 17th December 2024,” he said.

The governor urged the members of the state executive council to redouble their efforts and uphold a strong spirit of teamwork, dedication and commitment to supporting his administration in serving the people of the state.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded a 12.8 per cent reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) between January and October 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.

FRSC Corps Marshal, Malam Shehu Mohammed, made this known in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.

Mohammed said that the decrease was a testament to the FRSC’s commitment to improving road safety in Nigeria.

He highlighted the corps’ efforts to enhance road safety and reduce the number of crashes on Nigerian roads.

He said that the Corps had set an ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths by five per cent every year, aligning with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety.

The FRSC boss said that the essence of statistics was to be able to improve adding that the Corps’ commitment to enhancing road safety underscored the FRSC’s dedication to protecting Nigerian lives on the roads.

“FRSC’s efforts to reduce road crashes are in line with the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, which aimed to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50 percent by 2030.

“The number of crashes decreased from 8,654 in 2023 to 7,675 in 2024, representing a 12.8 per cent reduction.

“Also, between January and October 2023, the corps recorded 25,126 injuries and fatalities, while the same period in 2024 saw a decrease to 24,525, representing a 2.5 per cent reduction,”he said.

Mohammed said that the corps recorded an increase in deaths within the same period.

He attributed the increase in deaths to mass crashes.

He citied the Jigawa crash that claimed numerous lives and the Minna crash that claimed 50 lives saying that the Corps was working to ensure road traffic deaths were reduced to the barest minimum.

“Despite the challenges, I am optimistic about achieving the corps’ target of reducing road traffic deaths by five per cent annually because by 2030, we also want to have achieved 50 per cent reduction in line with UN decade of action,”he said.

The corps marshal explained that the FRSC was working to improve its strategies, particularly during the end-of-year patrol, to achieve the desired reduction in road crashes.

Mohammed also emphasised the importance of collaboration between the FRSC, other stakeholders, and the public in achieving the goal of reducing road crashes.

He urged Nigerians to support the FRSC’s efforts by adhering to traffic rules and regulations, avoiding reckless driving, and reporting any traffic-related incidents to the corps.

” We understand that there is the need for increase public awareness and education on road safety and the Corps is embarking on massive press conferences and town hall meetings to reach the grassroots level,”he assured.

Mohammed maintained that the FRSC would continue to engage in public enlightenment campaigns to educate motorists and other road users on the importance of road safety.

“When we work together, I believe that Nigeria can achieve a significant reduction in road crashes and make its roads safer for all users,”he said.(NAN)

The officers and men of the Enugu State and the Federal Fire Services on Saturday extinguished inferno at a section of the Modern Timber Market in the state capital.

Report says that the fire, which cause cannot be ascertained, started at about 6p.m. on Saturday.

The Director of the Enugu State Fire Service, Mr Okwudiri Ohaa, who is also the state’s Chief Fire Officer, said that there was no loss of life in the incident.

He said that it took the quick intervention of the state fire station in the market to start battling the fire while calling for assistance from the federal fire service headquarters.

“Four other fire trucks and a water tanker as well as assist from officers and men of the Federal Fire Service worked to put the inferno under control.

“Before arriving, due to the way stalls are built in the market; a stretch of a line in the market had been badly affected by the inferno.

“We were able to extinguish it and we are also on ground now to ensure that no remnant of the fire will resurface.

“We sincerely thank the Federal Fire Service for assisting us put off the fire and forestall further damage,” he said.

NAN reports that due to numerous fire incidences in the market, the state government established a fire service station in the market.(NAN)