Governor unveils 500 cadets for new road traffic agency
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has unveiled 500 trained cadets and marshals of the newly established Bauchi State Road Traffic Agency.
He unveiled the cadets on Saturday at the passing out parade of the first batch of 500 Cadets and Marshals of the agency held at Dr Rilwanu Sulaiman Adamu Square, Government House Bauchi.
Mohammed pledged that his administration will never interfere in their operations to enable them to maintain integrity and professionalism in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities.
Bala explained that the establishment of BAROTA was conceived out of the urgent need to address the growing challenges of road traffic management, safety, and law enforcement in the state.
He emphasised that BAROTA was established with a clear mandate to tackle the many challenges facing the road transport sector.
According to him, “The agency’s wide-ranging functions include, traffic law enforcement, accident prevention and investigation,
road safety awareness and advocacy as the enabling law of BAROTA has given powers to its operatives to arrest any person suspected of committing or having committed an offence under the Law.
“Over the years, road accidents, traffic congestion, and general disorder on our roads have had devastating effects on our citizens.
“Consequently, my administration presented the Bauchi Road Traffic Agency Bill to the State House of Assembly in 2020 to enact a law to address the problem.”
Mohammed maintained, “Upon passing the bill into law, I assented to it, which brought BAROTA into existence as a legal entity to protect the lives of road users in the State.
“Today’s occasion is indeed a landmark in our journey towards entrenching a safer, more efficient, and more sustainable road transportation system in our state.”
He cautioned the Cadets and Marshals of BAROTA, saying they have been entrusted with the power to enforce the law by international best practice and, therefore, their duties are to serve as peacekeepers, educators, and protectors of public safety.
Bala assured that the establishment of BAROTA is not a one-time effort as his administration remains fully committed to supporting the agency in every way possible including equipping BAROTA with modern technology and tools to enhance efficiency.
