A retired pioneer staff member of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Deacon Sunday Taye Dairo, has appealed to the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to institutionalise recognition and special recruitment consideration for the children of the 25 pioneer personnel who laid the foundation for the Corps in 1988.

Dairo, who retired as a Deputy Chief Road Marshal and Zonal Road Safety Marshal with badge number M8805-00021 in Osogbo in 2013 after 35 years of service, said the appeal was aimed at preserving the legacy of the founding personnel and alleviating the hardship being faced by surviving pioneers and families of deceased members.

Recounting the history of the Corps, Dairo said 25 personnel of the defunct Old Oyo State Road Safety Corps were released to the newly established FRSC through a circular dated April 8, 1988, issued by the then Military Governor of Old Oyo State, Major General David Jemibewon.

He said the 25 personnel were requested by the Federal Government to train the first batch of 1,000 youth corps members and commence the operational activities of the FRSC at a time when Nigeria had no structured federal road safety institution.

Dairo said many of the pioneer personnel died in active service, while others retired after years of service, adding that only 11 of the 25 pioneer operational personnel were still alive.

“Many of the personnel died while in active service while some retired peacefully after years of meritorious national service. Out of these pioneer operational personnel, only eleven are still surviving, though retired. I am one of the surviving retired personnel, and I am writing on behalf of all of us,” he said.

The retired Zonal Road Safety Marshal said the surviving pioneers were facing financial difficulties in retirement, with many depending on their pensions while also supporting unemployed children who had completed their education.

“Most of us only survive on our meagre pensions even though we have children that have graduated from school who could be taking care of us in our retirement years, but these children have no jobs.

“So instead of them taking care of us, we have to be using our meagre pensions to take care of them. The situation is so pathetic that we have no choice but to appeal for compassionate consideration,” he said.

Dairo appealed to the Corps Marshal to facilitate the employment of qualified children of the pioneer personnel, arguing that such a gesture would give meaning to the sacrifices made by the founding members.

“I’m pleading that you please use your good office to help facilitate the appointment of any of them into the Corps so that my 35 years with the Corps will not be in vain,” he said.

To underscore his appeal, Dairo cited the case of two children of one of the surviving pioneers, Deputy Chief Inspector Sunday Taye Unuigbe from Edo State, who participated in the recently concluded FRSC recruitment exercise.

He identified them as Unuigbe Tomiwa Odion, with application number CX0126831ED, and Unuigbe Yemisi Adesua, with application number CA0246823E.

According to Dairo, both candidates met the requirements, passed the screening stages and completed the mandatory six-month training before they were dropped at the final stage.

He said the circumstances surrounding their exclusion were not explained to them.

Dairo therefore urged Mohammed to formally recognise the 25 pioneer personnel and consider a special preference policy for their children and wards in future recruitment exercises.

“We humbly request the Corps Marshal to consider allocating some slots to us anytime the Corps is recruiting as a way of assisting to alleviate our hardships as our leader and father that God has put in authority,” he said.

He said such recognition would serve not only as a form of appreciation for the sacrifices of the pioneer personnel but also as encouragement to serving officers.

“This is not just about employment. It is about honour, legacy and saying thank you to those who toiled to build the FRSC from scratch when there was nothing,” Dairo added.