In his Facebook post, Osita said “In my days at the FRSC, I had travelled from Sokoto to Yenogoa, visiting commands by road. I know the length and breadth, sights and sounds, food joints and the best places to get authentic local food anywhere in Nigeria. I have also run in 32 of the 36 state capitals over the last 14 years.
Today, I ran again in Benin City and observed a few things. The people are still very courteous; most passersby greet cheerfully. The roads around where I ran were in decent condition, but no road markings. I noticed the Chief Oyegun Public Service Academy, a sign the government prioritise civil servants training, something in decline across the country.
The most troubling observation is the near-total non-use of seatbelts. I noticed it across car makes from low-end to high-end vehicles. Government vehicles, black jeeps and commercial vehicles were major violators. Front seat Passengers in commercial vehicles widely breached the law on seatbelts. Vehicles paid scant attention to pedestrians, and I saw a relationship between non-use of seatbelts and care for pedestrians (most of the drivers that stopped for me or gave me right of way had seatbelts on).
Edo state government should strengthen their traffic agency and deepen collaboration with FRSC and Special Marshals to educate and enforce road rules. Road signs and markings can further enhance the city roads.
In all, I enjoyed my run and ready for black soup and visit to my favourite joint in Benin.”
Osita Chidoka
