The Ogun State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Corps Commander Akinwunmi Fasakin, has advised Nigerians to discard the long-held myth about the last four months of the year, saying, there is no peculiarity or mystery attached to that period of the calendar.

UGAMATV reports that the last four months of the year, September, October, November, and December popularly referred to as the “ember months,” are believed to be a time of increased risk for accidents, criminal activity, and other misfortunes.

Due to these beliefs, many people seek spiritual fortification from religious leaders to ward off potential dangers during these months.

The Sector Commander, while addressing members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ogun State Information Chapel, at their monthly congress held in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Tuesday, said such beliefs should be discarded.

Commander Fasakin, speaking on the theme: “Safety on Our Roads and the Ember Months Mystery” clarified that human, vehicular, and environmental factors are the primary causes of the increase in road accidents, particularly during the ember months, and not superstition.

He stated that the target was to reduce road crashes to the barest minimum, urging motorists and road users to obey safety guidelines such as avoiding overloading, overspeeding, not drinking and driving, and ensuring vehicles are in good condition before embarking on journeys.

“The major reason we have an increase in the number of accidents during ember months is the surge in vehicular and economic activities on the roads during that period. Our target is to reduce crashes to the barest minimum,” Fasakin said.

He contended that everyone has a shared duty for road safety not than just the government and promised that the FRSC will keep up its efforts to educate the public about road safety procedures by collaborating with media outlets.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Information Chapel, Comrade Femi Osipitan, commended the Corps for its continuous efforts in sensitizing the public on road safety, pledging media’s support in amplifying safety messages to the public.