By Jimitota  Onoyume

Matrix  Energy Group has organised a one day Workshop for its  truck drivers  on enhancing safety and defensive driving skills in Warri South local government area, Delta state.

A certified Driver Professional Trainer, Mr Felix Nakpodia  who gave the key lecture at the  Workshop with the them , ” Alive Today, Alive tomorrow”, enjoined the truck drivers not to toy with their safety on the road , stressing that they should shun alcohol before and while on the steering.

Nakpodia focussed extensively on what he termed ” six conditions present in driving”,  saying they include avoid driving with poor lights at night, under alcoholic influence,  fatigue , boredom. speed and vehicles in bad shape.

He said when the conditions are not observed they could lead  to what he called , mystery crashes.  ” Sometimes the crashes just come suddenly because you are not in good control of the truck due to some of the things I mentioned “, he said.

He said none of the company’s truck had been involved in accident , urging the drivers to continue to keep the slate clean.

” The summary of all I have said is to have preventable accidents. They should know the dangers and avoid them correctly.  Without life you can’t  have time, without time you can’t make money and without money you can’t make property . So you see that all go together. So our drivers should be careful “, he said .

“When on the steering, don’t speed yourself to death. The truck drivers use undue advantage that they are driving truck.  Reduce your speed to fit  the prevailing condition of your vehicle.”, he added

He said they should also do everything possible on the road to ensure mistake of other road users do not lead them into crashes, stressing that  the only way to do this was to be alert on the steering.

” This is simply defensive driving,  to prevent accident, collision in spite of the incorrect actions of others and adverse conditions around you, the driver and thus save lives, time, money and prosperity”, he said.

He further enjoined the drivers to be  physically, mentally and psychologically fit as they drive.

Matron Matrix Sickbay , Esoko Omawumi who also spoke , enjoined the drivers to ensure they use their private time to rest very well so  they can  be very fit while driving .

” The time you have to rest , try and rest well. Don’t use it to engage in other things. This way you prepare yourself very well for the job ahead “, she said.

She also appealed to them to drop family issues and related matters behind when they want to drive.

Two of the drivers who spoke to the Vanguard , Ibrahim Sani Bello and Afolade Kelvin, thanked the company for the Workshop , saying  the various speakers enhanced their knowledge of the job.. ” We have learnt so much from this Workshop.  And we will apply them to the job. Even the ones we knew before now the speakers also emphasized on them . It’s a good one”, they said.

Chairman ,  of the company’s unit of Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Comrade Ajani Yekini  also hailed the company for the training , appealing to his colleagues to maintain the good record the company has carved for itself.

Awards were given to 15 of the drivers in various categories . They include Best Driver Warri,  Adamu Muhammed- Best driver- Warri, Best driver Bitumen Warri, Bulama Aliyu, Alhaji Muntari Adamu-Best LPG driver, Best performing Lagos, Taofeek Oyebamiji, Best driver Zaria- Tunde Oyewole, cleanest driver- Ibrahim Sanni Bello, Best Maintenance Driver cultured- Alh. Nasiru Saleh, Best maintenance cultured-Alh. Yusuf Illiyasu, Best journey management compliance driver-Shamsudeen Shehu, Best PPE compliance-Umar Abubakar, Best Behaved driver- Segun Adeyanju, Salihu Aziz as well as long service award to Yisha Bashiru and Abdulrahim Muhammed, while special recognition award went to Mr. Mudashiru Taofeek, including the PTD Chairman, Matrix Energy, Comrade Yekini

Chief Operating Officer, C.O.O, Matrix Energy Group, Lukeman Alada, who spoke through  the Group Head Haulage, Matrix Energy Limited, Engr. Raphael Biu,  said the company has continued to train and retrain its drivers to avoid incidents on the road.