" Confusion looms
in Lagos over issuance of driver’s licence
Imagine this scenario: You are driving on a
street in a Lagos suburb, say Okomaiko, Surulere, Ejigbo or Agege, and you run
into members of a task force from the state’s Motor Vehicle Administration
Agency (MVAA).
They demand your driver’s licence, and you
confidently produce the document issued by the Federal Road Safety Commission
(FRSC), but they disregard it and go on to book you for driving without a
‘valid’ licence, insisting that for you to continue driving within the state,
you must be re-certified by the state government after going through a driving
institute.
In another part of the city, another motorist
is flagged down by marshals of the FRSC patrolling a federal road. Upon
discovering that the driver’s licence he is carrying is from the Lagos State
Government’s MVAA, they promptly book him for violating a fundamental road
safety regulation - driving without a valid licence, because his document was
obtained from an “illegal” source.
The foregoing may appear imaginary and
exaggerated, but it is a sketch that will start playing out in the city in the
next few weeks, unless the Lagos State Government and the FRSC pull back their
punches and retreat from their hard line positions over the issuance of driver’s
licence (and even vehicle number plates).
On Wednesday, April 16, the Lagos State
Government formally announced that “arrangements are being concluded” on the
“production and issuance of the first ever state-of-the-art Lagos State Driver’s
licence” which would be launched “very shortly”.
And when this happens, holders of the FRSC
licence would be required to go through any of the state’s
soon-to-be-established driving institutes before being issued the new (Lagos)
version. Driving in the state would, therefore, be illegal without the ‘Eko
licence’.
In a reaction, the FRSC, through the Lagos
sector commander, Mr. Kayode Olagunju, described the Lagos State’s licence
scheme as an invitation to confusion. Olagunju warned motorists to be aware of
the fact that any licence from Lagos can be valid only within the state and the
state roads in particular, but “not even on federal roads in Lagos”.
It all started a couple of years back when the
Lagos State Government described the FRSC’s licensing procedure as inefficient
and characterized by delays in the issuance of both the driver’s licence and
vehicle number plates. The then commissioner for transportation, Mr. Muiz Banire,
hinted that the state would embark on production of the items in order to save
motorists in the metropolis from the hardship usually encountered trying to
obtain both. Loss of revenue was also cited as a factor that also influenced the
decision.
Last week, while recalling activities in his
ministry in the past one year, as part of the first anniversary of Governor
Babatunde Fashola’s administration, Banire’s successor, Prof Bamidele Badejo,
resurrected the controversial issue when he announced his ministry’s readiness
to start issuing driver’s licences following approval by the governor. He
accused the FRSC of performing its licensing duties in a “perfunctory” manner,
alleging (in answer to journalists’ questions) that a situation where licences
are issued to the disabled and other unqualified applicants by the commission
undermined safety on the road.
Part of the speech which lasted for more than
two hours reads: “This administration holds firmly on to the sanctity of human
lives. We, therefore, believe that certification and licensing for the driving
publics should not be perfunctory. It should be issued to people who are
physically fit, mentally alert and emotionally stable
“The state government has viewed the issue of
safety on Lagos roads with all seriousness in view of the incessant carnage
occasioned by incompetent drivers. Traffic regulations are only observed in the
breach”.
In its reaction, the FRSC argued that the
licence scheme by Lagos is more of a revenue generating venture than an exercise
borne out of concern for safety. “If a driver has to be in possession of, at
least, two different driver’s licences to operate in Lagos, won’t that create
confusion and also amount to multiple taxation? That also becomes a problem that
should be addressed by all stakeholders”
On the plan to re-certify the National
Driver’s Licences, Olagunju said the state has no legal basis to do so and urged
all stakeholders in the production of the document, to “resist such an illegal
action”. Citing section 10, sub-section 1, paragraph (d) of the FRSC
(Establishment) Act, 2007 and a Federal Government mandate in 1990, he said the
commission has all the required legal support to “harmonize” “standardize” and
“control” driver’s licensing system, as well as “design” and produce” vehicle
number plates.
FRSC also faulted the Lagos State’s argument
that it has the right to go into the issuance of driver’s licence and number
plates since they are not listed under the Exclusive and Concurrent lists in the
constitution of Nigeria.
However, while admitting that that the
National Driver’s Licensing scheme has been beset with problems which are
largely traceable to other parties in the process, especially defaulting state
governments, the commission explained that it (the scheme) operates on a
tripartite arrangement involving the FRSC, the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR)
and vehicle inspection officers(VIOs) of the states, Lagos’ inclusive.”
Production of licence is done by FRSC only after certification by the state VIOs
and payment to the state revenue board.
The commission further said:” Therefore, it is
important to note that our non-release of produced driver’s licences has not in
any way affected the revenue of Lagos as their agencies kept collecting money
from applicants and certifying them before they are directed to the FRSC
information processing centres (IPCs) for physical capturing of their images,
thumb printing and signature by computers. Rather than affecting the state
revenue, the state has capitalized on the arrangement to issue a permit which
costs N100 and expires after 15 days to all applicants…
Disclosing that the Lagos State Government is
indebted to the FRSC to the tune of N25 million on licences already produced and
delivered, Olagunju said it is unfair and ironic that the same government is
accusing the commission of non-performance. According to him, since opting out
of the vehicle identification (number plates) scheme, the state has undermined
national security and turned the numbering system upside down by producing for
the Lagos public plates with codes reserved for state governments and federal
agencies. All plates produced unilaterally by Lagos, he said, are not in the
FRSC’s national database.
The FRSC appealed to the Lagos State
Government to cooperate with the commission by playing its own parts in the
tripartite arrangement, like proper testing of drivers, ensuring mandatory
attendance of driving schools by applicants, establishing more work-stations and
lending its hand in the efforts flush out touts and forgers.
Source: [ sunnewsonline ]
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