Retired pioneer officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, to accord national recognition to the corps’ founder, retired Major Rasaki Salawu, and the 25 pioneer officers who helped establish its operations.

They also called for special recruitment consideration for the children and wards of the pioneer officers, saying many surviving members were struggling to cope with meagre pensions while their unemployed children were unable to support them in retirement.

The appeal was contained in a statement signed on behalf of the retired pioneers by Deacon Sunday Dairo, a retired senior FRSC officer who served in the corps’ Oyo, Osun and Ondo zonal operations.

Dairo urged the Federal Government to recognise Salawu’s contribution to road safety administration in Nigeria, comparing the proposed gesture with the recognition accorded to the late designer of Nigeria’s national flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi.

He recalled that Salawu conceived the Accidents Prevention Corps, popularly known as “Maja Maja,” in the then Oyo State in 1977, a model he said later informed the establishment of a national road safety institution.

According to Dairo, the Oyo State accident prevention scheme received approval in August 1987 under the military administration of Major-General David Jemibewon. The following year, the Federal Government established the Federal Road Safety Commission under the military administration of Ibrahim Babangida, with Salawu serving as its pioneer Director of Operations.

He also recalled that a circular dated April 8, 1988, with reference number SP/C.224/3/VOL.1/312, issued by Jemibewon, facilitated the release of 25 personnel from the defunct Old Oyo State Road Safety Corps to the newly established federal body.

The personnel, he said, were deployed to help train the first batch of 1,000 youth corps members and commence the FRSC’s operational activities.

Dairo said only 11 of the 25 pioneer officers were still alive, while 14 had died.

He listed the surviving pioneers as Bisi Bakare, Ismaila Adegboyega Asifat, Sunday Taiye Dairo, Sunday Oladotun, Taofeek Orimidara, Alani Adegbaju, Muniru Tijani, Kola Ogunsiji, Kareem Rasak Adeshina, J. O. Alabi and Bashiru Olajumoke.

The retired officer appealed to the Corps Marshal to invite the surviving pioneers to the FRSC headquarters for formal recognition and official photographs with the corps leadership.

He also urged the corps to consider giving their children and wards priority in future recruitment exercises, arguing that such a policy would provide relief to retired officers and families of deceased pioneers who contributed to the institution’s establishment.

“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,” Dairo said.

He added that the situation had compelled the surviving officers to seek compassionate consideration from the government and the corps leadership.

Dairo, who said he retired in 2013 after 35 years of service, maintained that the request was not solely about employment but also about recognising the sacrifices of personnel who helped build the FRSC.

He said formal recognition would preserve the institution’s history and reassure serving officers that their contributions to national service would not be forgotten after retirement.

The retired pioneers urged Tinubu and Mohammed to institutionalise recognition for Salawu and the 25 founding officers and consider their request for special recruitment opportunities for their children and wards.

In January 2025, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde presented a new car to Salawu during the Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration at the Government House in Agodi, Ibadan, in recognition of his contribution to traffic management, according to the account provided by the retired officers.