The Director General of National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) of Ghana, Ing. Mrs. May Obiri-Yeboah have expressed worry of the frequent occurrence of road traffic crashes in developing countries revealing that, it is increasing and the number of actualties and serious injuries is a considerable problem.
The Director-General made these observations at the press briefing of the 9th Annual General Meeting of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) in Accra.
The four (4) day conference hosted by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), seeks to promote road safety in West Africa under the theme: “Evaluating Road safety performance in west Africa under the decade of action for road safety 2011 – 2020”.
According to her, provisional statistics from January to August indicates that, Greater Accra which comprises of Accra and Tema have the unpleasant tag as the most accident-prone region.
Believing that, the conference will in evaluation of what needs to be done as a subregion in accordance with the world’s standards about the decade.
“it is our hope to look at what we have done as members countries, each of us evaluate ourselves as a sub-region and see whether we are in tune with what the whole is saying about the decade; if we are lacking then what do we do as a sub-region to ensure that in the next decade probably we will do well”, she acknowledged.
SYNOPSIS ON WEST AFRICAN ROAD ORGANIZATION
Existence Of WARSO
The west African road safety organization (WARSO) was established on May 8, 2008, under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) by the then president of ECOWAS. Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, to promote road safety in west Africa.
WARSO Day Observation And Countries Make Up WARSO
WARSO day, which is observed on May 8, each year is a landmark approach towards the promotion of road safety in the sub-region. Fifteen (15) West African countries make up WARSO.
Activities And Aim Of The Event
West African countries commemorate the day with road safety activities, including media engagement, road safety education, and outreach school visitation among others.
The event dubbed WARSO Day primarily aims to highlight and protect their road safety awareness programs and reflect on some peculiar success stories challenges confronting the sub-region in road safety man. It is needless to add that road traffic crashes are gradually deepening poverty, shuttering families (lose of human resource), and destruction to properties, pain, etc.
About The Event
The theme for this year’s event, “evaluating road safety performance in west Africa under the decade of action for road safety: 2011-2020 “. As the theme states, it is high time we highlight the remarkable condition we have all made towards the reduction of road traffic crashes on our roads and critically reviews its strength and weaknesses in the phase of growing road challenges in the sub-region.
Benefits Ghana Gains From This Event
Indeed, Ghana and her neighbouring countries enjoy cordial relations that date back to colonial rule. West African countries have thus related well in bilateral and multilateral relations for the benefit of the reb-region. The formation of WARSO is another expression to bring countries for the west Africa rub-region even closer to collaborate, amalgamation ideas to sustain integration for socio-economic development.
Source: Ishmael Barfi
