FEC Approves Special Training For VIPs’ Drivers

A TYPICAL CONVOY IN NIGERIA
A TYPICAL CONVOY IN NIGERIA

A compulsory special training for drivers in the convoys of Very Important Persons, including governors, ministers as well as heads of departments and parastatals, has been approved by the Federal Executive Council.The decision was taken on Wednesday following a report presented to the council by the Federal Road Safety Corps on the regular auto crashes involving the convoys of VIPs.

Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, and his colleague in Mines and Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Mohammed Sada, stated this after the FEC meeting presided over by Vice-President Namadi Sambo.

President Goodluck Jonathan is in Darvos, Switzerland, where he is attending the World Economic Forum summit.

Maku expressed the council’s displeasure with findings of the FRSC report on the first in the series of such trainings it organised for drivers of governors, which he said showed that many of the drivers were unfit to drive.

The report, he added, revealed that many of the governors’ drivers had serious impairments that could lead to accidents.

He noted that the training was to make them physically and mentally fit to drive their bosses.

He said, “Following regular crashes of convoys of governors, the FRSC decided to organise regular training for drivers in the convoys of VIPs.

“In recent times, we have witnessed many crashes of convoys leading to loss of lives, the latest being that of the Kogi State governor. The FRSC has therefore decided to ensure that all drivers of VIPs, governors, and heads of MDAs are trained.

Maku said based on that revelation, the FEC approved that the corps should embark on the second phase of the training and include drivers of ministers and heads of parastatals.