Gov. Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta has advised parents to ensure safety of children, especially on road, as a way of protecting them from road accidents.
Uduaghan gave the advice in Asaba on Friday at the launching of N300 million for Children Accident Preventive Initiative (CAPI) initiated by the state command of the Federal Road Safety Commission.
He said that the advice became necessary because it was parents responsibility to protect the children from hazards. ?
Represented by Mrs Ann Chalokwu-Orumade, his Special Adviser on Poverty Alleviation, the governor said that safety of life and property on roads was the responsibility of everyone.
He added that the launching of CAPI, especially during?“ember months”, was very timely.
Uduaghan pledged state Government’s support for the success of the initiative.
“We are totally in support of the execution of CAPI initiative. Our support stems from the belief in supporting life-enhancing programmes,’’ he said.
He added that the State Government was always in support of issues concerning safety and strengthening of life “because they are in tandem with human capital development arm of our three- point agenda’’.
A member of the state House of Assembly, Mr Sam Obi, called on religious groups, individuals and corporate organisations and government agencies to support the initiative.
Obi said that FRSC campaign to keep the children alive through CAPI was a worthy programme that needed the support of the people to succeed.
The legislator described the commission’s Customised Reflective Armband and Jacket project as a laudable programme.
Obi, who noted that the programme was well conceived, recommended it to all school children in the state, while promising to kit 1,000 school children across the state.
Earlier, the Consultant to FRSC on CAPI, Mr Steve Akujobi, said the project was part of measures by the commission to prevent road accident among school children while crossing the highways.
According to him, if the school children are kitted in the CAPI materials when crossing the highway, oncoming vehicles will sight them from afar before getting to them.
The consultant, who noted that road accidents had claimed the lives of many children over the years, said that safety on the roads was a collective responsibility of all citizens.
The Chief Launcher of the project, Chief Uche Okpuno, said survey had shown that road accidents had?claimed the lives of children more than HIV and AIDS in the country.
He called on the people to support the project, noting that it was the first time FRSC was introducing a well-package project to reduce and prevent road accidents among school children. (NAN)