05 insight may 11

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

D a n g e r s a s s o c i -

a t e d w i t h o v e r

s p e e d i n g 3

Distorted incentives: barrier to

national development‖ II 5

Stress and stress management

III 11

Little things and our KPIs 14

Exclusive interview with Usman

Sani RMI 16

A Story: Listen and live

21

And more

INSIGHT NEWSLETTER

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

INSIGHT YOUR WINDOW TO KNOWING A

LITTLE ABOUT EVERYTHING

The Road Safety Club

is the 3rd tier of the

FRSC‘s Tripod. Total

membership is 39,133

The Road Safety Club is the 3rd

tier of the FRSC‘s Tripod with a

total membership of 39,133

comprising 26,406 from pri-

mary and secondary schools

while 12,727 are NYSC members

Publisher: Osita Chidoka

Corps Marshal/Chief Executive

Editor–In– Chief: OC Oladele

(DCC)

Editor: KD Alegieuno (ARC)

Members:

VO Ogunnupebi (ACC)

AR Obagbemiro (SRC)

CB Nwokolo ARC)

DO Enakireru (ARC)

0I Ikoku (ARC)

Editorial Board

The winner of Insight

Newsletter Quiz competi-

tion, Odoh O Emmanuel

(PRM) of Corps Audit Of-

fice, RSHQ receiving his

cash prize of N5,000

from PAU

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

USMAN SANI RMI, A STAFF OF

RS8.34, ZARIAGI UNIT COM-

MAND

SHOCKWAVE: THE WORLD ‗S FASTEST TRUCK

MAY 2011 EDITION

Have you ever wondered

why relationship is very

complex to comprehend?.

Like an unrepentant soccer

enthusiast who this moment

is joyous as his team is win-

ning a crucial match can also

surprisingly within a twinkle

become sober and sorrowful

as his team loses the same

match . Relationship is simi-

lar to soccer, and thrives on

trust. When trust is lacking

in a relationship, it becomes

like a broken mirror, which

when mended, may still be

able to reflect an image but,

the fissures would always

show.

For an enthusiastic footfall

fan, he has full trust in his

team, even in the face of

defeat. The soccer fan

claps, sings and cheers his

team to forge on and in

class organization.

As a knowledge driven organiza-

tion, you should know about the

world‘s fastest truck, whose

speed is equivalent to that of

an aircraft. You will read this

and many others in this edition.

The concluding part of the

Corps Marshals lecture on ‗‘

Distorted incentives: barrier to

national development‖ is served

in this edition.

The transformation process of

the Corps is being modeled by

other agencies. The National

Electricity Regulatory Agency

recently invited the Corps to

share its best practices and

the presentation can be found

in this edition. The driving test

story is a compulsory read in

knowing why it is necessary and

what different countries ex-

pect from prospective driving

license applicants.

The newsletter is enlarged to

accommodate a section dedi-

cated to the youths and Road

Safety Club. Road Safety Club

Members as the third tier of

the Corps tripod are enjoined

to take advantage of this and

make entries for publication.

The other regulars like stress

management and the plight of

the physically challenged con-

tinue in this edition.

. F R O M T H E E D I T O R - I N - C H I E F

P a g e 2 I N S I G H T N E W S L E T T E R

most cases, the team do de-

liver. Interestingly, the fan

does not benefit from the

match bonus paid to the

players of the team he sup-

ports. In any case he does

not bother, he only wants

his team to win and he

trusts they would make him

happy by winning.

Usman, the Marshal fea-

tured in this edition as

model to other staff is like

a soccer enthusiast that

wants his team , the FRSC

to always win. Usman em-

barked on certain tasks in

his command, Zariagi in Kogi

State, even though those

chores were not palatable

and not within his primary

schedules. He believes that

by doing them the Corps

could transform into a world

class organization. Can the

Corps count on you in its

transformation process of

becoming a world class or-

ganization? Like a football

player, you are the direct

beneficiary of the value

added if the Corps truly

transforms into a world

The term ―Over speeding‖ is used

as a label to describe the behav-

iour of drivers moving at a speed

considered too fast for the pre-

vailing conditions (inappropriate

speed) or driving at a speed

higher than specified by

the posted speed limits

(excess speed).

Over Speeding is restricted to

excess speed. It is by far the

most frequent and prevalent

road traffic offence. Speed is

one of the few forms of driver‘s

behaviour for which a clear and

consistent relationship between

behaviour, in terms of average

speed, and the number of

crashes has been established.

This is prevalent in the North –

West especially among ―starlet‖

drivers.

Over speeding is the most com-

mon and the most severe road

safety problem. Both crash fre-

quency and crash severity in-

creases as the vehicle speed in-

creases. In Nigeria the safest

speed limit for cars on an ex-

press road is 100km/hr. Any ve-

hicle moving at this specified

speed limit is covering a total of

2.7m in 1sec, approximately 3m/

sec.

While driving, there are two issues

that come to the mind of the driver

when an object is sighted ahead.

There is the thinking distance and

breaking distance which allows the

driver to think of what action to

take and the judgement he arrives

at by stepping on his brake pedal to

avoid crash. All these actions take

place within 3 seconds. Therefore

the driver is expected to have cov-

ered 8.4m and the total width of

Nigerian High way is less than 10m.

The potential for crash and injury

reduction is substantial. The prob-

ability of a pedestrian fatality at an

impact speed of 50 km/hr is about

85 per cent, while at an impact

speed of 30 km/hr is less than 10

per cent (Anderson et al., 1997). A

model proposed by Finch et al.

(1994) indicates that for every 1

km/hr increase in the mean traffic

speed, crashes increased by about 3

per cent, that is to say the higher

the speed the higher the crash.

A recent meta-analysis of 36 stud-

ies on speed limit changes indicates

that at initial levels above 50 km/hr

(mostly outside built-up areas) a

crash reduction of 2 per cent for

every km/hr the average speed is

reduced (Elvik, Mysen and Vaa,

1997). Speed limit changes from 50

km/hr to levels below 50 km/hr

(mostly within built-up areas) seem

to reduce crashes by approximately

4 per cent for every 1 km/hr de-

crease in average speed (Vaa, 1997),

it is therefore wise to reduce speed

in town or villages along the high-

ways.

The essence of the problem of over

speeding is that the driver rarely

experiences a negative outcome of

such action, and as a result, many

DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER SPEEDING


YAKUBU MOHAMMAD (ACC)

UNIT COMMANDER JEGA

accepting that over speeding can be

dangerous (Corbett, Simon and

O‘Connell 1998).

However, driving fast has rewarding

effects; travel time is reduced and

fatigue is equally avoided. A lot of

drivers enjoy speed, drivers may

feel the sensation and excitement

associated with higher speeds, and

experience rewarding emotions

when demonstrating skill and mas-

tery especially to teenagers (Fuller,

1991, Zaal, 1994 and ETSC, 1995).

Over speeding is embedded with

negative consequences, such as the

perceived crash risk, feelings of

insecurity, or perceived risk of ap-

prehension which fails to outweigh

the positive experiences associated

with it.

Therefore, with all the above find-

ings it is pertinent to note that

while on excess speed, the driver

does not have regard for pedestri-

ans which include children below the

ages of 12, the elderly people who

have poor judgment of distance of

approaching vehicles likewise mad

men and animals that can jump on to

the highway at any point in time and

making it difficult for the driver to

avoid them or control his vehicle in

such circumstances. At dangerous

speed of 140km the car is covering

an approximate distance of 4m/sec,

in a nut shell the

higher the speed the

more the chances of

getting crashed.

What then will one

say to his creator

for being the cause

of the death of fel-

low humans? You can

agree with me that

SPEED KILLS and it

can be avoided. It is

a matter of choice.

So, make the right

choice by driving

within the prescribed

speed limit!!!

References 1. ANDERSON, R.W.G., MCLEAN, A.J., FARMER, J.B., LEE, B.H., & BROOKS, C.G.

(1997). Vehicle travel speeds and the incidence of fatal pedestrian crashes.

Accid.Anal & Prev, Vol. 29, No 5, pp 667-674.

2. CORBETT, C., SIMON, F., & O‘CONNELL, M. (1994). The deterrence of high

speed driving: a criminological perspective. TRL Report 296. Crowthorne,

TransportResearch Laboratory.

3. ELVIK, R.; MYSEN, A. B. & VAA, T. (1997) Trafikksikkerhetshåndbok.

Tredjeutgave. Oslo, Transportøkonomisk institutt (Handbook of Traffic

Safety. Third edition. In Norwegian only).

4.ETSC (1995) Reducing Traffic Injuries Resulting from Alcohol Impairment.

Brussels, European Transport Safety Council.

5.FINCH, D.J., KOMPFNER, P., LOCKWOOD, C.R., & MAYCOCK, G. (1994).

Speed,speed limits and accidents. Project Report 58 S211G/RB. Crowthorne,

Transport Research Laboratory.

6.FULLER, R. (1991). The modification of individual road user behaviour. In:

Koornstra. M.J. and Christensen, J (eds): Enforcement and Rewarding –

Strategies and Effects. Proceedings of the International Road Safety

DO YOU KNOW THE DANGERS ASSOCIATED WITH OVER SPEEDING?


140 KILOMETERS PER HOUR? THAT

IS IMPOSSIBLE! I HAVE ONLY BEEN

DRVING FOR 10 MINUTES!

a 30% corporate tax.

But in Nigeria, there are

inadequate tax struc-

tures in place to tackle

this distortion, and the

result is that higher pro-

ductivity is not encour-

aged thereby making

those who pay taxes feel

exploited by the system.

In the UK5 for instance,

Capital Gain Tax grew to

28% in 2010 and are ef-

fectively collected when-

ever due. However in Ni-

geria, the Capital Gains

Tax Act of 1967 charges

10% on capital gains

from disposed capital as-

sets6.

Even though the rate has

not been reviewed up-

ward, administering the

tax has been difficult.

Speculative buying in

stocks and properties

continue to thrive as

speculators easily evade

payment. Because of poor

tax administration in the

country, many taxable

companies and private

businesses are neither cap-

tured on data for tax payment

nor are they commensurably

taxed. This distortion is a dis-

incentive to productivity and

one of the causes of business

failure in the country as busi-

ness owners turn to specula-

tion for survival.

(c) Attitude of Public Sec-

tor Managers to National

Values:

Another area of national dis-

tortion is in our educational

system where children and

wards of senior public offi-

cers and captains of indus-

tries no longer attend public

schools. In the 70s and early

80s when children of public

office holders attended public

schools, there were noticeable

commitments to appropriate-

lyfund public schools and in-

vest in improving public infra-

structures. Public schools, in-

cluding the elitist ones like

Kings College, Queens

Schools, Igbobi College, CKC,

Onitsha, etc, were centres of

academic excellence and their

products could compete fa-

vourably

5

P a g e 5 V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 6

Here is the concluding

part on ―Distorted In-

centives: Barrier to Na-

tional Development‖ pre-

sented by the Corps

Marshal at an award

ceremony held at the

Kuti Hall, University of

Ibadan on Saturday 17

July 2010.

Inheritance tax is used

in most economies to

avoid distortion of incen-

tives. A distorted incen-

tive structure is the big-

gest dampener of innova-

tion, creativity and real

economic growth.

In Nigeria a land alloca-

tion in a state capital

automatically empowers

the allottee in a transac-

tion that confers on him

high net worth which can

be resold immediately,

without any tax, for full

profit. In Abuja that can

translate to hundreds of

millions which is usually

the profit of industries

employing about 200

staff and with turnover

ranging in the billions and

“DISTORTED INCENTIVES: BARRIER TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT” II

with their international

counterparts. The emer-

gence of a public sector

that lost direction and na-

tional pride resulted in

their exporting of their

wards to foreign schools

and the consequent decay

of public schools.

The prolonged neglect has

today caught up with all

of us with the increasing

cases of examination mal-

practices and mass failure

in SSCE, NECO and JAMB

examinations. Today, in

our universities the best

graduates can only be

found in banks, oil compa-

nies and lately, telecom-

munication industries. The

absence of outcome-

based evaluation of public

servants has ensured an

almost irreversible col-

lapse of the social sector.

Again we see that the

public sector managers,

without skin in the game,

have lost the incentive

for positive outcomes.

Public office holders free

from social or legal

sanctions and in most

cases rewarded for non-

delivery of public goods

continue to enjoy the dis-

torted incentives that are

the hallmark of our new

national experience.

(d) Poor recruitment

system

At the root of the col-

lapse of our public sector

is a recruitment strategy

that primarily distorts

the incentive structure of

the country. Recruitment

into public employment in

this country has become

an elite scramble for pa-

tronage, where quotas are

filled by high networth

individuals to the detri-

ment of the qualified, but

―non-connected‖ candi-

dates. We are witness to

the macabre situation

where the engine of our

national development -

the public service is pro-

gressively degenerating ,

where incentive struc-

tures does not recognise

and reward excellence

and where poor perform-

ers are occupying highly

sensitive offices and are

in the commanding

heights of certain eco-

nomic sectors which they

run in a manner that has

no regard for compe-

tence.

It is trite that a benefi-

ciary of a system nur-

tured on incompetence

would perpetrate the con-

tinuation of such system

till the entire system is

compelled to collapse.

This definitely cannot be

the way Nigeria of the

next century would be

managed. Most success-

ful countries, at least

economically, like Amer-

ica, or indeed South

P a g e 6

Recruitment into public

employment in this

country has become an

elite scramble for

patronage, where

quotas are filled by high

networth individuals to

the detriment of the

qualified, but ―non-

connected‖

I N S I G H T N E W S L E T T E R

“DISTORTED INCENTIVES: BARRIER TO NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT”

youthful imagination. He

was able to manage the

small investment Bank

with great dreams from

only one location in Lagos

though with heavy in-

vestment in modern in-

frastructure, lucrative

advisory mandates and

crop of young talented

Nigerian Bankers. The

Bank has since trans-

formed into a mega Pan

African financial empire

with global network and

expertise, known as

Stanbic IBTC Bank PLC-

a subsidiary of Standard

Bank of South Africa.

The question today is do

young Nigerians have the

incentive structure and

value system to create

another Atedo Peter-

side?. How many Nige-

rian youths at the age of

36 can raise 20% of N25

billion required to start a

bank?. Atedo‘s case

therefore exposes us to

the fact that youths

with talents when given

the right opportunity can

perform creatively. But

in contrast to this, what

we find in our nation today

unfortunately are growing

spate of youth restiveness

and kidnapping especially in

the South East of the

country.

While the trend is fast

spreading to other parts of

the country, there has

been no concrete effort to

curtail it or bring the cul-

prits to book. In the same

vein, no adequate measures

are in place to punish those

who pay the ransom; creat-

ing a situation where the

perpetrators see the act

as a means of getting easy

money or a lucrative busi-

ness with a low risk factor.

This has caused the col-

lapse of economic activi-

ties and social life which

may take another 25 years

for us to recover from.

The Brazilian Experience

Brazil, a third world coun-

try like Nigeria and Malay-

sia, were all predicted, in

the early 1960s, to turn

into economic giants.

Through right incentives

P a g e 7


Korea usually are

founded on innovation

and promotion of merito-

rious placement of skilful

manpower that are com-

mensurately remuner-

ated.

It is the totality of

these distortions that

have run the economy of

our nation aground. The

current national experi-

ence of the country

when compared to what

obtained about 25 years

ago could be as dismal as

it is frustrating. Take

the case of Atedo Peter-

side, who at the age of

36 years in 1989 and

with the sum of five hun-

dred thousand Dollars

(from which he person-

ally raised 20% of the

shared capital) was able

to establish IBTC Bank.

By 1996, IBTC was re-

sponsible for 80% of the

major merger and acqui-

sition transactions in the

country totalling N 10.5

bllion7.

Peterside‘s story is phe-

nomenal and inspirational

to the possibilities of


Not Happen By Chance‖

The state is the first in

Brazil to receive a Stan-

dard and Poor

―Investment grade‖ rat-

ing. The state‘s strong

administration during the

last three years

(emphasis mine) was one

of the reasons the rating

was granted. While we

wonder how a country

that was bailed out by

IMF with $42billion

could in eleven years

loan IMF $19billion we

stand amazed that Rio

de Janeiro in three years

got an ―investment

grade‖ rating from S & P.

Indeed great achieve-

ments do not just hap-

pen.

From this analysis, it is

clear that it is possible

to transform a country in

10years from a debtor to

a net creditor, rebuild

its state regulatory ca-

pacity and grow its do-

mestic market through

the real economy.

For you gentlemen of

Kuti Hall, this may sound

depressing since there is

not much to cheer like

Brazil because the fu-

ture looks bleak; unem-

ployment among young

graduates is high; educa-

tional institutions have

become derelict; and ac-

cess to credit by the

productive forces is very

limited, as it is based on

conditions that many en-

terprising youths cannot

meet. The Brazilian ex-

ample is to show you that

it can be done.

that many enterprising

youths cannot meet. The

Brazilian example is to

show you that it can be

done.

THE WAY OUT

Even with the seemingly

gloomy picture of our na-

tional development that

I have painted above, we

cannot totally surrender

to cynicism, otherwise

we would not be present

here to engage intellec-

tually in discussing the

common issues affecting

us as a nation and at-

tempting to find


and economic manage-

ment, Brazil and Malaysia

were able to get out of

economic woods, still

leaving us at a cross

road. At the height of

world economic meltdown

in 2009, Brazil loaned

$19 billion USD to the

IMF to bail out some

countries that were ex-

periencing economic re-

cession. This was the

same country which

eleven years earlier, had

borrowed $42billion USD

from IMF. This shows

how the country had

been able to manage its

economic situation within

the years we were rated

as economic equals. Even

this year, the Brazilian

economy is expected to

grow by 8%. The country

has well capitalised

banks. Bank credit grew

by 18 % while its retail

sales grew by 30% in

March 2010. Unemploy-

ment in the country has

reduced significantly.

An Advert by the state

of Rio de Janeiro reads

―Great Achievements Do


sustainable solu-

tions to the prob-

lems. I would

therefore, proffer

the following rec-

ommendations as

the way out:

First, there is

need to set core

value system for

the nation. No so-

ciety develops

without a set of

values over which

its citizens would

be ready and will-

ing to sacrifice

their comfort, lei-

sure and personal

interests towards

attaining and sus-

taining. As hedon-

istic as human be-

ings are, there are

various examples

of people going be-

yond the level of

human endurance

to work in order to

satisfy their reli-

gious beliefs, na-

tional ethos or

economic interest

to make sure their

society become

great.

This nation must as

a matter of na-

tional priority set

for itself a value

system that is citi-

zens‘ - attractive

and acceptable

enough to make

people readily sac-

rifice their lives

and comfort for.

Like the Japanese

whose fear of re-

colonisation be-

came the source of

their commitment

to science and

technology which

today has trans-

formed them into

an enviable nation.

Nigeria must con-

struct a set of val-

ues to which people

would be emotion-

ally, culturally and

spiritually at-

tached, the attain-

ment of which

should drive the

citizens to commit-

ting themselves.

Secondly, there

should be a credi-

ble reward system

that takes into

consideration the

differences in our

endowments, tal-

ents and flair,

without necessarily

compromising the

need for a bal-

anced federation.

This way the fears

of the proponents

of quota system or

federal character

would be allayed.

Granted that we

live in a country

with diverse peo-

ples who needed to

be accommodated

in the national

scheme of things,

superimposing the

quota system with-

out regard to its

implications on the

intellectual, tech-

nical and educa-

tional capability of

the people will

P a g e 9

Brazilian Economy

has drastically im-

proved leaving be-

hind some of its

3rd World counter-

parts like Nigeria


Unemployment in

Nigeria: the big-

gest worry

The IMF which was

created in the year

1945 is aimed at main-

taining international

monetary stability


only erode merit and enthrone medioc-

rity, which is not good for our national

development. Creating the balance be-

tween inclusiveness and merit – driven

society is now a national imperative.

Thirdly, the youths who are the leaders

of tomorrow must be made to have con-

fidence in the nation‘s systems by en-

suring that their specific interests are

taken into consideration in any plan for

national development. The struggle for

this should start from our educational

institutions and how they are run, to

avoid the kind of distortions that pro-

duce youths who pay no allegiance to the

system having not felt its impact in

their upbringing and development.

Fourthly, there is need for an overhaul

of our educational and other systems of

learning to create harmony in the sys-

tem. The incongruence that exists be-

tween our educational system and devel-

opment system does not go well with the

course for national development, as this

incoherence creates a situation where

there are no relationships between our

institutions of learning and the produc-

tive sectors of the society. Unless this

is done, the investments the government

is making in the educational sectors may

not translate to national development.

Finally, we must recognise that leader-

ship is a social trust; and the elected

ones must be responsible and re-

sponsive to the electorate, whose

interests must be jealously guarded

and protected. This is where the is-

sue of credible electoral system

that guarantees the sanctity of peo-

ple‘s votes comes in. The promise of

credible electoral system by the

government in next year‘s elections

and the growing clamour for elec-

toral reform are evidence of peo-

ple‘s consciousness on issues of

election. On the economic front, we

have another golden opportunity

through Vision 20:2020 to make Ni-

geria become an economic giant. The

Vision does not belong to govern-

ment officials alone. It is a collec-

tive dream to make our dear nation

great. The Federal Government, due

to the decay in infrastructure re-

quires N23 trillion ($153.3 billion

USD)8 to fund the Vision. Interest-

ingly this amount is equivalent to

what China spent to host the last

Olympics in Beijing. Vision 20:2020

is predicated on a projection of

making per capita income $4,000,

growing Nigeria‘s current GDP of

$175 billion to $900 billion by 2020,

thus making our GDP at par with

Brazil, Russia and Canada of today.

Equally, population growth is ex-

pected to rise from 140million to

P a g e 1 0 I N S I G H T N E W S L E T T E R


to help workers with personal

problems that may be ad-

versely affecting their on-

the-job performance. The

confidential services include

counseling, mental health as-

sessment and referrals,

workshops on topics such as

time management and relaxa-

tion, and legal and financial

assistance.

A. Organizational change

While EAPs can be very bene-

ficial to workers, the relief

they provide may be superfi-

cial and short-lived if impor-

tant root causes of stress in

the work environment are not

addressed. Lasting stress

reduction is brought about

by institutional change.

―Managers are the key hold-

ers of corporate culture,‖ Mi-

chael Peterson, a professor

at University of Delaware,

told FDU magazine. ―They

perpetuate it.‖ While stress

management techniques like

yoga are great, he said, ―if

your boss is draconian, exer-

cise is not going to help.‖

No meaningful job or work-

place is, or should be ex-

pected to be, stress-free.

However, less stress occurs

when a business or institution

encourages

P a g e 1 1

V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 6

200million and electric-

ity generation to grow

from 3,759 megawatts

to 60,000 megawatts.

The current 8million reg-

istered Vehicle popula-

tion is also projected to

grow to about 40million

in 2020. As youths,

whose future can only be

assured in a Nigeria of

great opportunities,

what role are you going

to play in facilitating the

attainment of this Vi-

sion?

In conclusion, I believe

we need to restore the

right incentive structure

if we really aim to

achieve the vision of de-

velopment. We must curb

rent seeking, reduce

speculative investment,

enthrone outcome-based

performance evaluation,

sanction corruption of

processes, systems and

finances and promote

merit. These are critical

building pillars for na-

tional development.

Thank you for your at-

tention

Stress and stress management III

Dr Aiyudu,DI (CRC)

HOU,NHIS

RSHQ MEDICAL CENTRE

W H A T C A N

M A N A G E R S O R

E M P L O Y E R S

D O T O R E D U C E

S T R E S S A T

W O R K ?

Stress on the job creates

high costs for businesses

and institutions, reducing

morale, productivity, and

earnings. Clearly, it is in

every employer‘s best inter-

ests—fiscal and otherwise—

to reduce workplace stress

as much as possible. Busi-

nesses can lower and prevent

job stress through two

methods:

Stress management pro-

grams and training for em-

ployees.

Organizational changes

that improve working

conditions.

A.Stress Management

Nearly half of large Ameri-

can corporations provide

their employees with stress

management training and Em-

ployee Assistance Programs

(EAPs). EAPs are designed to

http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/public/WhatWeDo/EAP/eap.asp

http://www.foh.dhhs.gov/public/WhatWeDo/EAP/eap.asp

employee participation from the bottom up, implements

policies that take employee needs into account, and em-

powers employees to do their best.

Look at the table below for a list of ways in which an or-

ganization can foster low levels of job stress and high

levels of productivity:

P a g e 1 2

Hyperstress is

t h e t y p e o f

negative stress

that comes when

a p e r s o n i s

f o r c e d t o

u n de r t ak e o r

undergo more

than he or she

c a n t a k e . A

stressfu l job

that overworks

an individual will

c a u s e t h a t

individual to face

hyperstress.


Improve communication

Share information with employees to reduce uncer-

tainty about their jobs and futures.

Clearly define employees‘ roles and responsibilities.

Make communication friendly and efficient, not mean-

Consult your employees

Give workers opportunities to participate in deci-

sions that affect their jobs.

Consult employees about scheduling and work rules.

Be sure the workload is suitable to employees‘ abili-

ties and resources; avoid unrealistic deadlines.

Show that individual workers are valued.

Offer rewards and incentives

Praise good work performance verbally and institu-

tionally.

Provide opportunities for career development.

Promote an ―entrepreneurial‖ work climate that gives

Cultivate a friendly social climate

Provide opportunities for social interaction among em-

ployees.

Establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.

Make management actions consistent with organiza-

TO BE CONCLUDED

IN THE NEXT EDI-

TION

Stress and stress management III

The world‘s fastest truck is

capable of gathering a maxi-

mum speed of 605km per hour!

The truck is said to be pow-

ered by three jet engines that

generate 36,000 horsepower.

The powerful engine is similar

to the one installed in the T2A

Buckeye plane of the US Navy.

As it uses the engine of a

plane, it is capable of compet-

ing with a plane in terms of

speed. The truck which is

called shockwave is said to be

faster than a plane. This was

observed during an air show.

In Nigeria the speed limit for a

truck/tanker as stipulated by

the Nigeria Highway Code is

45km per hour on build-up

area, 50km per hour on the

highway and 60km per hour on

the expressway. One begins to

wonder where a truck with

maximum speed limit of 605km

per hour will fit in.

If at 100km per hour, a vehicle

moves at 28 metres per second

on a road that is less than 12

metres wide then at 605km

per hour, shockwave will be

moving at 168 metres per sec-

ond on a road that is less than

12 metres wide!

Imagine that there are

fifty of these trucks on

Nigerian roads; would they

ever get to their destina-

tion running at 303km per

hour which is estimated to

be halve of shockwave‘s

maximum speed? With the

increasing rate of road

traffic crashes and its as-

sociated problems do you

think we need the fastest

truck on our roads? The

answer is emphatic NO!

THE WORLD‘S FASTEST TRUCK

P a g e 1 3

If at 100km per

hour, a vehicle

moves at 28

metres per

second on a road

that is less than

12 metres wide

then at 605km

per hour,

shockwave will be

moving at 168

metres per

second on a road

that is less than

12 metres wide !


For those who unceasingly

search for a place in the

hands of destiny, time has

a way of putting on their

faces a lasting smile. The

path to finding this great

treasury may be bathed

with thorns but the prize

is always worth the ef-

forts. Sometimes it does

not take much to take the

prize. All that life de-

mands of us is to go an

extra mile by doing those

little things.

How many times have you

come to the office and

see something that

needed a little fixing only

for you to turn your face

the other way. ―That is-

not part of my KPI,‖ you

mutter under your breath.

The every day staff always

finds it convenient and okay

to work within the range of

his KPIs (Key Performance

Indicators) nothing more

instead something less.

Those who gets promoted

are those who know the

value of going extra miles.

One of such men who had

his destiny handed to him is

marshal Usman Sani of the

Zariagi Unit Command. Mar-

shal Usman Sani did not

build a space ship, he did

not buy a tow truck for the

Corps and he was not among

the men who discovered the

river Niger in order to

boost trade in the African

continent.

He is a staff of the Fed-

eral Road Safety Corps like

you and me who has learnt

to colour his Command by

going beyond his KPIs. He

strongly believes that by

going an extra mile he would

be able to make a little dif-

ference. When he started

building his bridge with

straw, he did not allow

the wind of discourage-

ment to swallow the pet-

als of his dream, neither

did he allow the rain of

hopelessness to wash it

towards the delta of still-

ness. Today, Usman Sani

is smiling, thanks to the

Corps Marshal, Osita Chi-

doka who strongly be-

lieved in hard work and

dedication. He directed

that Usman Sani be pro-

moted from RMII to

RMI.

However, Usman Sani

would still have been in a

bottle but for his Unit

Commander, AA Awodi

(ACC) who saw something

in him and decided to give

him a place in the sun.

According to the Unit

Commander, having a

positive impart in the life

of Usman Sani was the

highest point in his ca-

reer.

LITTLE THINGS AND OUR KPIS (Praise for Usman Sani RMI)

B Y A l e g i e u n o K D ( A R C )


As the Corps gears to-

ward becoming a world

class organisation as well

as reducing road traffic

crashes by 50% we all

must buckle up our shoes

and jump above our KPIs

for the future is bright

even beyond our wildest

imagination! Let us do

something more. I know

there are more Usmans

out there waiting to be

discovered.

LITTLE THINGS AND OUR KPIS (Praise for Usman Sani RMI)

P a g e 1 5 V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 6

The Unit Commander‘s

display of magnanimity

by pushing Usman‘s ac-

tivities to the tables of

the Corps Marshal

through the appropriate

channels shows one great

trait of good leadership.

DID YOU KNOW THAT ?

Lesotho is 1 of 3 world‘s enclaves, an enclave is a country located within the

borders of another country

Sudan has 233 pyramids with 85 pyramids more than those found in Egypt

Gambia has Africa‘s smallest mainland with 11, 300 square kilometres

Soweto in South Africa is the only town in the entire world that currently

houses two Nobel laureates; Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Sometimes we are not prepared for

what will change our lives forever. For

Marshal Usman Sani who was recently

promoted by the Corps Marshal and

Chief Executive, Osita Chidoka from the

rank of RMII to RMI knows better

what I am talking about. Those little

things we do, the extra miles we take

when carrying out our duties will one day

be the stepping stone that will take us

to high heavens.

Usman Sani is one humble Marshal

whose heart and mind is in his job. He is

always thinking on how to make things

better in his own little way. With such

actions came reward that changed his

world.

Recently, INSIGHT crew visited

RS8.34 Zariagi Unit Command where

they had an exclusive interview with Us-

man Sani. Here is an excerpt from the

interview.

IN: May we meet you?

U S: My name is Usman Sani from the

family of Mohammed Abubarkar Sani. I

am from kano State.

IN: Tell us about your educational back-

ground

US: I started my primary education at

the Babangida Special Primary School in

Taroni Local Government Area. thereaf-

ter, I proceeded to Sabon Kofar Secon-

dary School then went further to at-

tend Government Technical College,

Kano. I obtained a Diploma in Building

Technology & Quantity Survey at the

Kano State Polytechnic. I later ob-

tained Advanced Diploma in Public Ad-

ministration at the Bayero University.

Just when I was about to pursue a de-

gree programme at the same Univer-

sity I got employment with the Fed-

eral Road Safety Corps. I had to for-

feit the admission for the job.

IN: What is your duty in the com-

mand?

US: I am presently the acting HOD

Logistics as well as an Operational

staff

IN: We heard that you embarked on

several projects in your command. Tell

us about some of these projects

US: I started by finding a use for a

water container which was disposed

off.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH USMAN SANI RMI


I made holes around it and turned it

into a waste bin. That was when the

Command was thinking of purchasing

a new one and considering the office

lean financial muscle as at the time

I felt there was need to make do of

available materials instead of buying

new ones. I took the condemned wa-

ter container without the knowledge

of anyone and turned it into a use-

able waste bin. We are still using it.

When I also discovered that some

lights were having problems I de-

cided to take up the project in or-

der to reduce the running cost of

the office.

Whenever the UC directs me to

bring in a technician to check faulty

wires I always do them myself since

I have the technical knowledge to fix

them. I also discovered that the gen-

erator had not been serviced since it

was installed. I approached the UC with

the problem. He approved the money

for the general service I acquired the

oil but did the service myself hence

saving the office the cost of labour.

When the UC saw me dismantled the

plant he was shocked but at the end I

fixed it and the lights were brighter

than before. At that point he directed

that I should teach two other Marshals

on how to maintain the generator which

I did.

This route is prone to accident as a re-

sult we are always going out for rescue

activities. On one of such rescues, we

were evacuating a dead victim from the

river when the stretcher cloth got torn.

We had to pull the man out with our

bare hands. Meanwhile we had sent re-

quest for stretchers via the sector

Command. When we saw that the

stretchers were not forth coming, I

took a two days pass and travelled to

Kano where I bought green durable

cloths which I used in amending the two

damaged stretchers in the Command.

We are still using them till today. Later

on we received two new stretchers. To-

day we have five stretchers in the Com-

mand.


P a g e 1 7

V O L U M E 1 I S S U E 6

Marshal Usman Sani in the plant

house

IN: What motivated you into car-

rying out these projects?

US: The will to offer service. Hard

work is my watchword. Before I

joined the Corps I was into carpen-

try job. I work all day, for idleness

makes me sick. So when I joined

the Corps I saw it as an opportu-

nity to always give in my best at all

times. Whenever I am in the office

and I happened to come across

anything that needs fixing I will

make sure that I look for a solution

instead of sitting around and

watching. I just like doing anything

that will make the Corps move for-

ward.

IN: Recently we heard that the

Corps Marshal directed that you

should be promoted to the next

rank. What was your feeling when

you received the news?

US: My mouth cannot express how

I feel. I lack words to thank God

and the Corps Marshal whom God

has used to colour my life. I will be

forever grateful to the Corps Mar-

shal for projecting me as a mirror

to the whole world.

IN: Now that you have done some-

thing nice and rewarded by the

Corps, don‘t you think it is time for

you to relax a little by do-

ing your normal job?

US: This is the starting

point. To relax is to be-

tray the trust the Corps

Marshal imposed on me.

This is a morale booster,

I have to do more.

One of the stretchers refurbished by

Marshal Usman Sani


P a g e 1 8

. I just

like doing

anything

that will

make the

Corps

move

forward.


something more and do it

with faith without look-

ing for reward. For re-

ward will come when it

will come.

IN: What are your hob-

bies?

US: Reading and playing

snooker

John W Gardner The cynic says, "One

man can't do any-thing". I say, "Only

one man can do any-thing."

Ralph Waldo Emer-

son

The creation of a thou-sand forests is in one

acorn.

Lucretius

The drops of rain make a hole in the stone, not

by violence, but by oft falling.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH USMAN SANI

RMI


IN: Who is your role

model?

US: God is my role

model. I also see the

Corps Marshal and my

Unit Commander, AA

Awodi (ACC) as my role

models.

IN: How will you want to

see the Corps in the next

100 years from now?

US: I want to see a

great Corps that is

greater than all the chal-

lenges of road traffic

crash has to offer. Since

the year 2007 I joined

the Corps till date we

have been witnessing

dramatic and progres-

sive change.

IN: What advice do you

have to other staff of

the Corps?

US: I want to see staff

that are willing to give in

their best for nothing.

There are staff who can

do far better than what

I have done but they

don‘t want to do anything

beyond their normal

schedule. I think every-

one should try to do

A Satellite cable installation by Marshal Usman Sani

Front view of Zariagi Unit Command


DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don't you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don't give up though the pace seems slow--

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out--

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--

It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

- Edgar A. Guest

Simbi the sheep sat in the stable

looking awfully sad. Her friends

had all gone to school leaving her

behind alone and lonely. She

would not be going to school for

a whole week!

Simbi was involved in an accident

that left her with a sprained

hind leg. The accident could have

been fatal if the driver had been

reckless.

Simbi was a very intelligent stu-

dent in her class but in recent

times she had allowed pride and

indiscipline to take the better

part of her; an attitude which

was not acceptable by anyone in

her class.

Most times instead of paying at-

tention to the teacher, she would

be distracting others from

learning. On several times she

had been admonished by her

teacher but she refused to

change.

On that fateful day Mr. Tortoise

was teaching the class the simple

drills of crossing the road. Simbi

was not listening. Instead, she

was busy counting her money.

―You must look left and you must

look right,‖ Mr. Tortoise said.

Blacky picked her pencil and be-

gan to draw a little sheep licking

an ice cream cone. ―You must look

left again,‖ the teacher empha-

sised. By now, Simbi was day-

dreaming. She could feel the

creamy ice cream melting in her

mouth. She could see herself

swimming in cloud nineteen. ―You

must look left again and only cross

when the road is free,‖ Mr. Tor-

toise concluded. Simbi could not

wait for the closing bell to ring

before she hurriedly went out to


ROAD

SAFETY

CLUB

CREATING

SAFER ROADS

FOR FUTURE

LEADERS

THROUGH

AWARENESS

A STORY: LISTEN AND LIVE by KD Alegieuno ARC

A S T O R Y : L I S T E N A N D L I V E

. buy an ice cream cone. She began to lick

the ice cream as she trekked home.

Eventually she got to a place where she

had to cross the road. Standing on the

shoulder of the road, she looked left and

she looked right. Instead of looking left

again, she decided to look at the mouth

watery ice cream in her hand.

She took a bite at the cone as she en-

tered the road. Because she did not ob-

serve the rule properly, she did not see

the oncoming carriage from the left.

When she eventually saw the carriage, it

was too late! The carriage came screech-

ing and stopped right in front of her.

Mr. Blacky, the driver of the carriage

was a well trained driver who was always

very careful when driving. That was why

he did not run over the poor frightened

Simbi.

However Simbi missed her footings while

she attempted running and she fell on the

tarred road with the ice scream smearing

her uniform. She ended up with a sprained

hind leg. The driver of the carriage was

the one who took her to the nearest hospi-

tal where she was giving a prompt treat-

ment.

The doctor told her that she would have to

stay at home for at least a week. She knew

then she was not going to come out first in

her class and that she would not be partici-

pating in the inter-house sport competi-

tion. She felt very depressed that she re-

gretted all her actions. The most important

thing was that she had learnt her lesson.


Important Lessons

1. Don‘t assume you know everything; every single information is im-

portant for your safety

2. Eating while walking on the road is a bad habit and harmful to your

safety

3. Listening is an important ingredient to learning

In other to restore the

integrity of our driving

license, FRSC has intro-

duced a new Driving Li-

cense that meets global

best practices. As a pre-

requisite for obtaining it,

the applicant must pass

through a test with the

Vehicle Inspection Offi-

cer (VIO).

Most learners view the

driving test as a hurdle.

It certainly is a major

topic of conversation

among them. These tests

vary from country to

country.

In France and Nigeria, as

in many other countries,

learner drivers take a

driving test in two parts;

theoretical and practical

test. In Germany, train-

ing includes first-aid in-

struction on what to do

at the scene of an acci-

dent.

Additionally, the authori-

ties there impose a legal

minimum of one and a

half hour practice in

night driving as well as

just over two hours driv-

ing on a motorway

(freeway). If the learner

passes the examiner‘s

test, he receives a proba-

tionary license valid for

two years. Should this

time pass without inci-

dent, a permanent license

is granted.

Japan insists on from 30

to 60 hours of practical

instruction from qualified

driving instructors, fol-

lowed by a three-part

test: medical (for vision,

colour blindness, hearing),

driving (for practical

skill), and written (on

traffic regulations).

According to The Times

of London, ―the tough

British driving test is de-

feating hundreds of angry

Americans [resident

there].‖ with a 51-percent

failure rate (compared

with 15 percent in the

U.S.A.), it is reckoned to

be ―one of the most strin-

gent in the world.‖

The variations extend

past the technicalities.

Ben Yoshida, who runs a

driving school in New

York, asserts: ―In Tokyo,

an inspector tests

[drivers] from the point

THE DRIVING TEST DO Enakireru (ARC)


Japan insists on from 30 to

60 hours of practical

instruction from qualified

driving instructors,

followed by a three-part

test: medical (for vision,

colour blindness, hearing),

driving (for practical skill),

and written (on traffic

regulations).

of view of how well they

can drive a car techni-

cally, but in the United

States, he tests to see

how safely they can

drive.‖

Whatever the differ-

ences, all drivers need to

apply themselves to driv-

ing safely. How can they

do this?

According to The Times of

London, ―the tough British

driving test is defeating

hundreds of angry Ameri-

cans [resident there].‖

with a 51-percent failure

rate (compared with 15

percent in the U.S.A.), it is

reckoned to be ―one of the

most stringent in the

world.‖

The variations extend past

the technicalities. Ben Yo-

shida, who runs a driving

school in New York, as-

serts: ―In Tokyo, an in-

spector tests [drivers]

from the point of view of

how well they can drive a

car technically, but in the

United States, he tests to

see how safely they can

drive.‖

Whatever the differences,

all drivers need to apply

themselves to driving

safely. How can they do

this?

One English lady, who took

her driving test at 50

years of age and passed,

found it helpful to prepare

by making a thorough study

of Britain‘s Highway Code.

But as with any skill, she

found that more is re-

quired than studying a

textbook.

Practice is essential. If

you are a new driver, learn

to drive safely under vary-

ing conditions. For exam-

ple, when the weather

changes, so does the con-

dition of the road surface.

Though there may be only

a light sprinkling of rain,

the grip of your vehicle‘s

tires will not be as effec-

tive as on a dry road. Con-

sequently, slower speeds

coupled with a greater

awareness of road hazards

become

imperative. Heavy rain

brings additional problems,

such as when the spray

kicked up behind vehicles

obstructs your clear view

ahead. Yes, become accus-

tomed to different

weather conditions and ad-

just your driving accord-

ingly.

You are probably not a

qualified mechanic. In

fact, ―not one in five mo-

torists knows his car‘s tyre

pressures or service inter-

vals,‖ claims London‘s Daily

Mail, adding: ―Not one in

three ever reads a hand-

book and nearly all are

baffled by modern en-

gines.‖ How about you?

Although it is not nec-

essary to know all the in-

tricate mechanical details

of today‘s vehicles, it

does help to know the ba-

sics. This will enable you

to develop ‗car sympathy.‘

Improve Your Technique

Passing your driving

test will give you a good

feeling, a sense of

achievement. But then

what? Will you let your

standards drop? ―Often

after passing the test,

many drivers get a bit

reckless,‖ comments a

driving instructor. He of-

fers this advice: ―Know

your limitations and the

limitations of the vehicle

in varying conditions. Un-

til you have found those

out, you are likely to have

an accident.‖ One driver

conceded: ―If I drove the

way I did the first few

weeks after my test, I

would be a safer driver.‖

Why so? He admits: ―I

now take more chances.‖

D R I V I N G T E S T


On passing your test,

you demonstrate that

you are a good driver. To

become a good , safe and

responsible driver, you

must continue to work on

your driving. You can al-

most certainly improve

your skill with experi-

ence and attention to

your driving techniques.

Become ever more

alert to possible dangers.

―Lack of anticipation and

awareness of what is go-

ing on in front, behind

and around your car is

the main fault of today‘s

drivers,‖ claims British

police driving examiner,

Alex Miller.

the country.

The Challenges

Considering the provisions

of the NRTR 2004 there-

fore, pedestrians and cy-

clists are left in danger.

Specifically;

-There are no adequate

designated bus stops for

passengers to board and

alight, no passengers

waiting bay, (kudos to glo-

mobile anyway) even on

expressways like the road

from Apo (Gudu ceme-

tery) roundabout through

Berger to tipper garage

(Katanpe) on Kubwa road

among others.

-No sufficient pedestrian

flyover (bridges), and

were they exist, they

have been abandoned by

pedestrians for such rea-

sons as strength to climb,

beggars and traders dis-

turbances, and security.

-There are no sufficient

traffic calming devices,

roads signs and pavement

markings, where provided,

road users violate them

with impunity

-No audible crossing sig-

nals to cater for the visu-

ally impaired, texture

pavements and curb cuts

to enable a cripple on

In the US for instance,

11.8% of all traffic

deaths are pedestrian,

while pedestrian‘s trips

represent 9% of all to-

tal trips. The situation

is not better in Nige-

rian and in FCT in par-

ticular whose traffic

crashes rate among the

highest five states in

T H E D R I V I N G T E S T


Try to expect the un-

expected. Learning to

‗read the road‘ will help.

Therefore, do not be

troubled if you are asked

to go for a driving test,

whether is for renewal

or as a fresher, this will

prove that only those

who can drive possess it.

See it as a privilege.

―E.S John (ARC) STOF Budget

Admin/Procurement, FRSC HQ

Abuja

ALL INCLUSSIVE MOBILITY: THE PLIGHT OF THE PHYSICALLY

CHALLENGED, AGED, CHILDREN AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS IN NIGERIAN

CITIES (2)

Citizens with Disability

(CCD) estimated the fig-

ure to be about 14 million

while the World Health

Organization estimated

that 1 out of every 10 in

developing countries is

disabled, which translate

to over 10 million in Nige-

ria. Also a Harvard study

on People with Disability

indicated that more than

20 million people with dis-

abilities constituted the

Nigerian population. This

large number of citizens

is not adequately catered

for in our public infra-

structure designs and

transportation system.

For instance, a cripple on

wheel cannot go out with

his wheel chair because

the edge of

the road shoulder does

not accommodate him, he

cannot cross the road, if

he decides to pick a cab,

most offices does not al-

low commercial vehicle in

their premises, so he

alights there and left

with no option than to use

his hand to complete the

journey.

The public buildings have no

provision for the cripple on

wheel into the offices, nei-

ther are there sufficient

lifts to carry him/her to

which ever stair he/she de-

sires. It is a national con-

cern.


on wheel chair to pass

through.

-No subways, cyclist tracks

and no sufficient walk ways

etc.

-The commercial buses does

not have provision for the

cripple to wheel into it, nei-

ther are the physically chal-

lenged well received by the

public in vehicles.

Let‘s look at the categories

of the pedestrians in FCT.

The Disabled

People with mobility impair-

ments in cities around the

world have long struggled to

have their special needs ac-

commodated in the design of

urban infrastructure. The

quality of life for citizens is

reduced when they cannot

take full advantage of roads,

sidewalks and other trans-

port facilities.

The disabled represent a

significant proportion of the

population of Nigeria,

though the 2006 National

census put the figure at

3,253,169 persons repre-

senting 2.32% of the popula-

tion, an NGO, Centre for

ALL INCLUSIVE MOBILITY: THE PLIGHT OF THE PHYSICALLY CHALLENGED, AGED,

CHILDREN AND OTHER PEDESTRIANS IN NIGERIAN CITIES (2)

A cripple on wheel chair at a flat

edged road that allows him to

wheel across without restriction

(Japan)

TO BE CONTINUED IN

THE NEXT EDITION

C O M A C E P O W E R P O I N T P R E S E N T A T I O N

A T T H E N A T I O N A L E L E C T R I C I T Y

C O M M I S S I O N O N 1 4 A P R I L , 2 0 1 1


Transforming Into a World Class Organization:The Federal Road Safety Commission Example

Presentation to National Electricity Commission ByOsita ChidokaCorps Marshal and Chief Executive, Federal Road Safety Commission 14 April 2011

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Table of Contents

Section

1 Objective of this Presentation

2 FRSC‘s Situation in 2007

3 FRSC‘s Challenges in 2007

4 FRSC‘s reform strategies

5 FRSC‘s Key Initiatives

6 Corresponding Results

7 Advice to National Electricity Commission


TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT EDITION

A P P R O V E D M A T E R N I T Y W E A R F O R

F E M A L E O F F I C E R S S


BACK VIEW

LEFT SIDE VIEW RIGHT SIDE VIEW

FRONT VIEW

A P P R O V E D M A T E R N I T Y W E A R

F O R F E M A L E M A R S H A L S


FRONT VIEW OF THE UNIFORM

SIDE VIEW OF THE UNIFORM


-Converting data into intelligence for making evidence

based decision

-Conducting global monitoring and benchmarking

-Conducting surveys and internal consulting for depart-

ments and Corps offices

-Offering technical assistance and coaching to depart-

ments and Corps offices

P L A N N I N G

A D V I S O R Y U N I T

Federal Road Safety Corps

RSHQ,

Wuse Zone 7, Abuja, Nigeria

Phone:

+234 8077201236,

+234 7036136152

E-mail: [email protected]

[email protected]

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