FRSC laments decline in discipline, professionalism

… organises 1-day sensitisation on discipline reinforcement

The management of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has lamented that over the past month, it 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 ‘Sensitisation Programme on Discipline Reinforcement and Strengthening of Command and Control in the Field Commands’ held at FRSC, Bauchi Sector Command.

Represented by ACM Alhassan Usman Ibrahim, the Corps Marshall stressed that, “These lapses have manifested as misconduct, unethical practice, abuse of authority, extortion, reckless enforcement behaviours, and other actions that contradict everything that this uniform represents, and that steadily erode public trust in the corps.

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“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 whom we serve.

“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.

“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 behaviours 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.

“Every time a road user loses confidence in us, our mandate becomes harder to achieve. Every act of unprofessionalism or unprofessional conduct may damage the image of thousands of disciplined staff. And every abuse of authority weakens the trust built on our reputation over the decades.

“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.

“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.

“Their mission is to strengthen discipline, reinforce leadership accountability, and restore an effective command and control structure that guarantees professionalism at all times. Let me emphasise that discipline is not punishment.

“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.

“The public must see us as firm but fair, visible yet respectful, authoritative yet humane, efficient yet compassionate, enforcing this law without fear or favour and overform, and never for personal gain or intimidation.

“Accordingly, extortion, harassment, and abuse of authority are not only illegal but are a 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 sensitisation covers all levels from zonal to outpost, because culture is shaped from the top and extended to the bottom.”

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.”

In his remarks, the Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO), Zone 12, ACM Mohammed Yakubu stated that,”As Officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, we are guided by a clear statutory mandate to promote road safety, minimize crashes, prevent casualties, and create safe motoring environment across the nation.”

According to him, “The authority we exercise on the road is not personal. It is delegated authority backed by law, public trust, and expectations of the federal government of Nigeria. remains the bedrock of any uniformed organization. Without discipline, there can be no command structure. Without command and control, there can be no operational effectiveness.”

He added that,”It is therefore imperative that we continuously reinforce our commitments to professionalism, ethical conduct, and strict adherence to established operational procedures. Distinguished Officers and Marshals, it has become necessary to draw attention to certain acts of misconduct and unethical practices perpetrated by some staff, which are inconsistent with the Corps’ statutory mandate.”

The ZCO added that,”These include reckless overzealous enforcement behavior, disrespectful engagement with members of the public, abuse of authority, and extortion, unprofessional conduct at our patrol points, disregard for professional guidelines and standard procedures.”

According to him,”Such action not only tarnish the image of the Corps, but also erode public confidence, weaken command integrity, and undermine the sacrifice of the majority of disciplined and hard-working personnel.”

“Let me state clearly, recklessness or reckless enforcement is not enforcement. Intimidation is not professionalism. Harassment is not discipline. Any conduct that contradicts our core values of integrity, transparency, service, and respect for human dignity will not be tolerated,” he added.

He charged that Command at all levels must rise to their responsibilities stressing that, “Effective command and control requires clear communication of directives, close supervision and monitoring of field command, prompt correction of deviation, which some of you had me do.”

According to him, “You’ll be seeing people doing the wrong thing, your subordinates, but you hardly do that. Clear but firm disciplinary measures where necessary.”

The ZCO added that, “Leading by example, as a leader, you need to lead by example for others to copy and emulate. Every personnel, sorry, every patrolman must understand, every patrol team must understand that enforcement must be intelligence-driven, lawful, courteous, and safety-consciousness

According to him, “Our goal is compliance, not confrontation. Our goal and it is compliance, not confrontation, as we have seen even this morning as well, how they are fighting one trailer man, taking the road safety seriously. And we are not even physically strong.”

He added that,”That shows we are not well. So it’s so essential, we need to be trained in the art of combat. We must remember that every motorist we encounter is a stakeholder, so he deserves respect, not an adversary.”

“He’s not an enemy. I charge all commanding officers, the union commanders as well as the sector commanders, to strengthen their internal control mechanics within their respective commands, regular briefings, operational audits, surprise checks,” he added.

He added that,”You don’t do operational audits as they do recount. That’s all. You don’t do anything. You have to do operational audits and know what is required now. An ethical orientation session must become routine. You must be doing ethical orientation sessions. In the Unit Commands, you don’t even do that.”

He stated that,”To our Officers and Marshalls, I urge you to reflect deeply on your oath of office. Each one of you has taken oath of office right from the training camp. You have taken oath of allegiance to the federal government as well as the road safety. So remember that your uniform is a symbol of trust. Your conducts must reflect honor. Let us recommit ourselves to the values of professionalism, accountability, and public excellence.”

He concluded that,”As we move forward, this sensitization programme should not end at mere rhetorical. It must translate into measurable behavioral change, improved supervision, and renewed commitment to our mandate. Together, we shall set the standard. Together, we shall reinforce effective command and control. And together, we shall uphold the integrity and dignity of the Federal Road Safety Corps.”