Tema, Sept. 16, GNA-The Reverend Kennedy Okosun, Former Chief of Staff of the Action Chapel International, has appealed to religious bodies to form advocacy groups to create awareness on road sensitization to reduce road fatalities.
He said Ghanaians should not gamble in activism but indulge in activities that would educate the public to adhere to road safety regulations and reduce crashes.
Rev. Okosun was speaking at the Tema Ghana News Agency and Tema Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) Road Safety campaign platform.
The Road Safety Project seeks to create consistent and systematic weekly awareness advocacy on the need to be cautious on the road as a user, educate all road users on their respective responsibilities, and sensitize drivers especially on the tenets of road safety regulations, rules and laws.
He explained that religious groups should also embark on road safety campaign to reach out to people within the groups and extend it to other groups to aid combat road crashes.
Rev. Okosun who is the Executive Chairman of Krif Ghana and Editor-In-Chief for Krif Media (Integrity Magazine) said advocacy groups would propagate information about road safety regulations in a peaceful and plain language for understanding.
Speaking on “The Role of Ministers in Reducing Road Crashes,” Rev. Okosun who is also Action Chapel International Special Envoy to Diplomatic Missions and Governments said, in view of the impact of road accidents on the church community, religious groups should be charged to disseminate strict adherence to road traffic regulations.
“We must also encourage our members to drive with the right qualification, churches must employ qualified drivers and help them to periodically undertake refresher courses, discourage drink-driving, speak against speeding and poor states of vehicles,” he said.
He entreated people with sight challenges to seek medical attention before driving to avoid crashes.
He said most road crashes were caused by drunk-driving, excessive speeding, lack and or wrong position of road signs, bad nature of vehicles amongst others and called for prompt attitudinal change.
He said human beings were constantly moving by roads hence the need to obey road safety regulations to save lives and property.
He called on colleague pastors, ministers, clergymen and all religious leaders to use church platforms to sensitise congregants on road safety rules and regulations.
« Spend five minutes to speak to your members about road safety regulations with the agenda to save lives, with an agenda to reduce the statistics every time you pick the microphone » he said.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, Tema Regional Manager of the Ghana News Agency added that, they were engaging Religious, Traditional, Political, and Corporate Leaders as well to become Road Safety Ambassadors.
He noted that, it was time to wake up and make the road safe for all to use either as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, adding that « we are all connected to the road”.
“We are begging every Minister of the Gospel that anytime you mount the pulpit please just use some minutes of your time to talk about road safety. You will be saving your members from road crashes,” he said.
Mr Ameyibor noted: “It is time to wake up and collectively make the road safe for all to use either as a driver, passenger, or pedestrian, we are all connected to the road”.
