Okere Lauds OYRTMA Over humanitarian Services in Oyo

By Ogundele Olanrewaju

The Okere of Saki, Oba Khalid Olabisi has revealed that the unprecedented activities of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA) in Saki and its environs has helped to save the lives of numerous residents of the town.

He made this known yesterday through the Bagi of Saki Land, High Chief Abdul-Rasheed Gazaal Adegoke while receiving in courtesy visit in his Palace, the Executive Chairman, Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority (OYRTMA), Mogaji Akin Fagbemi PhD who was on a sensitization and advocacy program to the Oke-Ogun Zone on the need for motorists to drive more carefully and enthrone highest road safety standards particularly during these ember months.

In his brief address, the Okeere stated that “the enhanced activities of the Oyo State Road Transport Management Authority under the Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration is one which is unprecedented. Before now, the Authority was completely silent across the Oke-Ogun axis with dire attendant consequences which include daily loss of precious lives on our roads due to lack of road traffic and safety laws, regulations, procedures and enforcement”.

The Monarch further revealed that the people of the Zone particularly motorists were well accustomed to archaic mode of driving rules and procedures which Men and Officers of the Authority had been working on assiduously as evidenced in the reduced road crash incidents recorded in the Oke-Ogun Zone in recent times.

“Before now, there was hardly a day or two we would not receive the sad news of deaths resulting from road accidents here in Saki or our neighbouring towns of Iseyin, Ago-Aare, Itesiwaju, Okaka, Tede etc. We thank God and the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde for making the Moniya-Iseyin, Iseyin-Saki roads motorable and backed it up with the deployment of men and officers of OYRTMA to maintain sanity on these roads. The officers are exhibiting high level professionalism on their jobs particularly as regards drivers’ education and enforcement of the extant road traffic laws of the State.

We however implore the State government to add to the numbers of officers deployed to the zone so that those on ground would not be overwhelmed by the rapidly growing economic activities in the Zone”, the Okeere concluded.

In his response, Dr. Fagbemi on behalf of the Authority thanked the Okeere for his magnanimity, hospitality and conducive welcome accorded men and officers of the Authority deployed to the Zone.

He emphasized the readiness of the Authority to continually partner with the traditional institution to further enhance the local presence and effectiveness of the Authority across the Oke-ogun Zone.

In his words, the OYRTMA Boss said; “Your Royal Highness, the Okeere of Saki Land ably represented by our Father, The Bagi of Saki Kingdom, High Chief Abdul-Rasheed Gazaal Adegoke, Adekilutoro 1, we appreciate your warm welcome and goodwill extended to our men and officers deployed to Saki and its environ.

We assure you of our continuous readiness to rid our roads of avoidable accidents and maintain highest sanity possible. With your support and partnership, we would do more.

In response to your request, Your Highness, I am pleased to inform you that His Excellency, The Executive Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has approved for the Authority to employ more men and the administrative processes had begun. When completed in due course, we shall deploy more officers and men to the Oke-Ogun axis and this, we believe would further enhance the efficacy of our operations in the zone.

We have moved round Saki today to carry out an advocacy program to educate our motorists to be safety conscious and obey traffic rules and regulations. It is our hope that as the year draws its curtain, we would have no record of fatalities as a result of road accidents from Saki and the entire Oke-Ogun axis. We thank Your Highness for the huge support”, Fagbemi concluded.