Kogi State Government has announced tougher traffic-control measures to prevent gridlock and road crashes during the Ember months, warning motorists who violate traffic regulations that they will face prosecution.
The measures include restrictions on the movement of articulated vehicles, joint enforcement patrols, mobile courts and intensified monitoring of major highways as the state prepares for increased vehicular movement during the festive season.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Ododo on Road Safety Matters and Chairman of the Kogi State Road Safety Council, Dr Suberu Yusuf John, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja at a stakeholders’ meeting on traffic management and road safety.
Yusuf John said the state government was collaborating with security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure smooth traffic flow, particularly along major highways expected to experience heavy traffic during the festive period.
He said the government’s priority was to ensure that no traveller was stranded on the road during the Ember months.
According to him, the movement of articulated vehicles would be regulated on major routes, with authorities determining when such vehicles could operate in areas where their movement could worsen congestion.
He added that a joint task force would be deployed to enforce traffic regulations, monitor identified trouble spots and respond promptly to emerging congestion.
The Special Adviser said mobile courts and other enforcement mechanisms would also be deployed to deal with traffic offenders, while the media would be engaged to provide motorists with timely information on road conditions, traffic diversions and safety directives.
Yusuf John warned motorists against deliberate violations of traffic regulations.
“If you don’t want to do Christmas in the Correctional Home, behave yourself while on the road,” he cautioned.
He said the measures were in line with Governor Ododo’s directive that no traveller should be left stranded on the road, assuring that the government would deploy the necessary resources to maintain free traffic flow throughout the Ember months.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting identified prolonged road closures by contractors, poor construction practices and driver indiscipline as major contributors to recurring gridlock on Federal highways across the state.
The meeting focused particularly on the Abuja–Lokoja–Okene corridor, where participants reviewed existing traffic challenges and discussed measures to prevent congestion and crashes as festive-season traffic increases.
In his welcome address, the Director-General, Government House Administration, Dr Shuaibu Umar Oricha, acknowledged the worsening traffic situation and called for stronger collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders.
The Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Corps Commander Lawan L. Fagge, said the final quarter of the year was traditionally challenging for road safety agencies due to increased human and vehicular movement.
Fagge said the Ember months should not be associated with death or evil, but should instead be regarded as a period when motorists must exercise greater caution, noting that increased traffic without corresponding safety consciousness could result in more crashes.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Federal Project Implementation, Engr. Obasi Emmanuel, attributed part of the congestion to how some contractors handled road construction and rehabilitation projects.
He said Federal Ministry of Works guidelines required contractors to limit road closures to about one or two kilometres at a time, but alleged that some contractors had closed several kilometres of highways, creating severe traffic bottlenecks.
Emmanuel also attributed delays in some road projects to funding challenges, urging the Federal Government to pay certified contractors promptly and ensure proper management of construction equipment, particularly on stalled projects.
The Deputy Corridor Commander of the FRSC, Abraham Daniel, identified impatience and traffic violations by VIP and fleet drivers, as well as other motorists, as avoidable causes of gridlock.
He urged motorists to obey traffic-management personnel and avoid forcing their way through blocked routes.
Daniel specifically appealed to VIPs, their drivers, transport unions and commercial motorists to respect traffic regulations and plan their journeys properly.
He also called on construction companies to provide safe and properly maintained alternative routes whenever sections of highways were closed.
The Team Leader of the Koton-Karfe Military Base, Warrant Officer Sheikh Ibraheem, called for increased publicity on highway conditions to enable motorists to plan their journeys accordingly.
He also proposed restricting articulated vehicles to night operations and urged authorities to remove heavy-duty construction equipment abandoned on highways and obstructing traffic.
