NBA BOSS URGES N'ASSEMBLY TO REVIEW POLICE, FRSC ACT

By NBF News

President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Joseph Daudu, yesterday urged the National Assembly to review the Acts establishing the Nigeria Police and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), saying the measure would help eliminate all the overlapping functions.

He also advised the lawmakers to back the ongoing new number plate and driver's licence.

Daudu spoke at the public hearing on number plate and driver's license by the House of Representatives Committee on FRSC. The committee is headed by Mr. Nasir Daura.

He stressed that the proposed number plate and driver's licence would provide necessary information for security agencies to track criminals and improve safety of road users across the country.

Daudu called on the National Assembly to step up its oversight functions on various implementing agencies to avoid overpricing at the state level.

Speaking earlier, Osita Chidoka, Corps Marshal of FRSC, noted that the proposed number plate and driver's licence have additional security features that will help in checking the spate of road accidents and death rate caused by untrained drivers.

He disclosed that about 5,000 deaths are recorded on daily basis and that the facilities available at the commission, including central database, are obsolete, cumbersome, fraught with irregularities, chaotic and portend risks to national security, adding that there was no formal standard for production of number plates in the past.

Chidoka disclosed that the commission had produced 231,876 new number plates as at March 1, 2011 and so far discovered that 47 percent of drivers licences renewed were fake, 154 individuals attempted but fail to obtain licences with multiple identities, accredited 214 driving schools nationwide and commenced medical certification of commercial drivers.

On her part, Omogui-Ifueko, chairman, Joint Tax Board, who expressed support for the scheme, explained that the scheme would reduce the problem of racketing and loss of revenue and enhance revenue accrue to state governments.

The new number plate as approved by the Joint Tax Board (JTB), including all the state tax boards, showed that the sum of N3,000 against N750 (old price) for motorcycle; N15,000 as against N2,500 (old price); N20,000 against N3,000 (old price) for Articulated vehicle; N40,000 against N6,000 (old price) for Out of Series; N80,000 against N18,000 (old price) for Fancy; N30,000 against N7,500 (old price) for Dealer; N15,000 against N5,000 (old price) for government and N40,000 against N10,000 (old price) for government fancy.

To obtain the new driver's licence, the JTB approved upward review of prices from N3,000 to N6,000 for vehicles, while driver's licence for motorcycle was raised from N1,500 to N3,000.