It is no longer news as Federal Road Safety Corp familiarise with the general public on what the agency is doing as it regards to road safety pointing that ignorance is not an excuse, for it is only somebody who is alive that uses the road.
Speaking in an event organized by Spotlight Africa tagged “Women Making a Difference Community Service Leadership Awards” the Unit Commander, FRSC Ikeja Unit command, Acc. Emma Fekoya; warned road sweepers to be mindful of positioning while sweeping on the roads and avoid the use of earpiece or if it must be used let it be of one ear which will reduce the sound sharpness and help you hear when vehicles are approaching while discharging your duty.
The Unit Commander, stated that steady checking of health status is as important as anything including vision screening.
She stated clearly that LAWMA should provide sweepers with good tools to work with and urged the women to please keep using nose guard while sweeping as it is very important to protect you from intake of dust which is dangerous to their health.
“Don’t back traffic while sweeping, always face traffic while sweeping” Emma Fekoya, warned.
She said, While facing traffic, use your cone to push traffic few meters away from your area of sweeping because most drivers are not focused while driving. Do same at the parks also.
Speaking during interview session, the President Spotlight Africa Network, Barr. Nonye Mike Nnaji; said what motivated her into rewarding the women especially the sweepers was, on the roads, they were there to give us a cleaner road site; on the sun and rain, they were there to make sure that dirt do not block the drainages and no one cares to know about their welfare which was part of the motivation.
Barr. Nnaji said, ” imagine if they were not on the streets of Lagos for one or two days, you can describe what Lagos may look like”.
She said, during the time of Ebola these women were there, even in the heat of covid19 pandemic they were also there, they were in all nooks and crannies, making sure that we have a cleaner and liveable environment and that was what gave birth to rewarding them in community service leadership award.
She encouraged the women in any predicament and situation to take a step and start with whatever they can do and that one day God will elevate you because begging and prostitution can not give you fame but work pays”.
LAWMA MD/CEO, Mr. Ibrahim Odumboni, thanked the organizers for recognizing what we are doing on the roads.
“It is not easy to have women on the roads sweeping to give us brighter livelihood even when we are sleeping at the comfort of zones”.
He narrated that the recycling business in Lagos is to be relaunched, looking at the incentive side of it as well as the sustainability and compatibility side of it and creating awareness so as we can actually relate recycling in Lagos to the life style of everyone in Lagos and generations been carried along.
Mrs. Adekunle Adijat who won the grand finale award of Spotlight Africa Woman of the year 2020, as popular sweeper in Lagos and emerged with over twenty thousand votes through MTN platform, said she never expected to emerge as the winner and therefore thanked the organizers, LAWMA team and everyone who made it happen as God will replenish them.
Other 29 Lagos state female street sweepers and Covid19 heroines who also won awards are; Muibi Bukola, Abisola Ayodele, Ramota Adisa, OwonimiTinuke, Musibau Fausat, Olamide Ene, Ruth Ogunlade, Grace Animame, Yemisi Afolabi, Rukayat Musa.
Others are; Adeniran Abiodun, Muibat Matti, Idiris Abiodun, Aniyameta Deborah, Omolara Owosanya, Yusuf Motunranyo, Airat Aliu, Risikat Nasri, Agboola Fatimah, Owolabi Afusat, Adekunle Adijat, Afeleohai Josephine, Yemisi Obayan, Ojeleye Oluwakemi, Anyanwu Olubabunmi, Motunrayo Adekunle, Alabi Shakirat, Hameed Zainab and Olanike Orunowo.