The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, on Tuesday said that the recent deployment of senior officers of the corps to state commands was a deliberate and strategic intervention to address operational lapses.
Mohammed also said that the measure was necessitated by rising concerns over discipline, professionalism, and effective command and control in some field commands.
The Corps Marshal made the development known during an official visit to the Ekiti State Command of the FRSC in Ado-Ekiti.
Mohammed, who was represented by Corps Commander Barbara Ekpekpe, explained that recent operational reports revealed trends that demanded immediate leadership presence, guidance, and corrective action to safeguard the integrity of the corps.
He said: “Over the past months, we have observed a disturbing decline in discipline, professionalism and effective command and control in most field commands.”
He stated that the lapses manifested in gross misconduct, unethical practices, abuse of authority, extortion, and reckless enforcement behaviours, all of which had eroded public trust and contradicted the corps’ core values.
While describing such acts as unacceptable, Mohammed said that every instance of unprofessional conduct endangered the reputation painstakingly built by disciplined personnel over decades.
He said that the deployed senior officers were to serve as mentors and standard-bearers, adding that discipline was not punishment but protection of the corps’ image and mandate.
The corps marshal also warned against extortion, harassment, and abuse of authority, describing them as illegal and a betrayal of the oath sworn by personnel, while urging respect for members of the Special Marshal Unit.
Earlier, the National Welfare Officer of the Special Marshal Unit, Chief Folake Adebayo, urged more Nigerians to join the unit, noting that despite its strategic contributions to road safety, only a few committed citizens were currently enlisted.
