The Nation Newspaper

Tag: VIO

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    Driving  schools that issued their certificates to candidates without the information of the candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the three months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All driving schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the officers of the Association (ADIN) the privilege of seeing the list of candidates presented for licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorised use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old licence should be declared illegal and any candidate holding the old driver licence and the fake new licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behoves the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the candidates either in the government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of driving schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by driving schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any government official, driving school, organisation or individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the driver licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the graduated driver licensing scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of road  crashes and fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable property are wasting away on the  roads everyday.

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    Driving  schools that issued their certificates to candidates without the information of the candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the three months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All driving schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the officers of the Association (ADIN) the privilege of seeing the list of candidates presented for licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorised use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old licence should be declared illegal and any candidate holding the old driver licence and the fake new Licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behoves the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the candidates either in the government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of driving schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by driving schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any government official, driving school, organisation or individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the driver licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the graduated driver licensing scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of road  crashes and fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable property are wasting away on the  roads everyday.

  • E-regulation coming, says NAICOM

    E-regulation coming, says NAICOM

    The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is gearing up to deploy its electronic platform in the regulation of the insurance industry by middle of this year, Director Research Strategy and Information Technology, Adamu Balanti has said.

    He made this known while outlining efforts of the commission to reposition the insurance industry in an interview with reporters.

    According to him, insurance operators will file their 2014 accounts through the e-platform that is presently being test-run while the e-platform would also kick-start the issuing of unique identification number to all insurance policyholders in the country.

    Highlighting the uniqueness of the policy, he said the identification system is to monitor and account for all policies issued.

    He said: “This system is to build an integration point for the various stakeholders involved in insurance policy issuance, generate and provide a unique identification number for every policy issued in order to track and provide relevant statistics on them.

    “It would help develop capacity in NAICOM to record all policies issued by Nigerian insurance companies, ensure proper accountability of all premium returns by insurance companies, capture all businesses done by every broker through the underwriter, ensure proper accountability of all insurance levies received from brokers, provide easy access to data regarding policies issued, and support analysis and policy based decision making.”

    “The portal provides a single point of access for all NAICOM services, validate the authenticity of insurance policies and accessible from any location within Nigeria.”

    Balanti emphasised that the system should be able to interact or communicate with other systems or users such as the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO).

    “We want to identify each individual insurance policy issued in the country; this is why we are developing, what we call – Unique Policy Identifier (UPI).  With it, each insurance policy document issued in the country will have a unique identification number. The Unique number will be used to identify that document,’’ he added.

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    STEP 1 – That every experienced driver that wants to renew the old driver licence or obtain a new one afresh should go to the driving school as a fresher for thorough assessment in both theory and practical with more focus on the knowledge of the information in the Highway Code (Traffic Signs, Road Markings, Signals and Defensive Driving rules among others) for need assessment.

    STEP 2 – That the driving schools should register the candidates and upload their information into the data base of the Federal Road Safety Commission as it obtains for basic learners.

    STEP 3 – That step 2 should be complemented with the submission of the data and reports of the candidates to the FRSC Unit Commands responsible for the supervision or monitoring of the driving schools in their domains in case there is a challenge in uploading the information of the registered candidates through the website of FRSC.

    STEP 4 – Learner Permits will be issued to the candidates (three months duration as it currently obtains).

    STEP 5 – The candidates will be exposed to the relevant theory and practical training sessions depending on the result of the need assessment carried out by the driving schools in stage 1. The Assessment result will also determine the duration and charges by the driving schools.

    STEP 6 – After the refresher training sessions, the candidates should be allowed to drive for three months till the expiration of the Learner’s permits, after which they can then commence the processing of their Driver Licence (as it obtains for learners) if he or she did not commits traffic offences and at – fault accidents. Appropriate theory and practical tests must be administered and passed by the candidates.

    STEP 7 – Any candidate whose registration information is not in the Database of FRSC through website uploading and/or FRSC unit commands must be denied driver licence (at the Licence production stage).

    There should be adequate print and electronic media public enlightenment programmes by the stakeholders to inform Nigerians that their driver licence will not be produced if they don’t follow all the steps from registration stage to the end (and a prove that they obtain the necessary training in Driving Schools)

    CAUTION

    If the above steps are not fully adopted and enforced, the secret production of fake driver licence will continue to thrive for presentation to compromising driving schools that will be issuing such candidates with certificates and Learner’s permits to go for direct processing of driver licence.

    b. Mechanics, unregistered driving schools and other Individuals who are not driving school owners will continue to train candidates who will dubiously be approaching driving schools for their certificates, claiming that they already know how to drive. But with the above steps fully taken, they would prefer to patronise the certified driving schools rather than going through the process twice and at double costs. This will also be an opportunity to properly groom the drivers with the requisite knowledge and skills for safe driving.

  • How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    How FRSC,VIO, MVAA and driving schools increase the rate of accidents

    The fear of the judgment of God is the main reason why I decided to write this article in the interest of the innocent Nigerians that are daily becoming victims of road accidents.

    When the Graduated Driver Licence Scheme was introduced in Nigeria, those of us that know the benefits for road safety were very glad. Alas! The stakeholder in its implementation in Nigeria, FRSC, VIO, MVAA and some driving schools have soiled their hands in a disgraceful conspiracy which has made implementation of the scheme a failure in Nigeria thereby contributing more to road crashes and fatalities as it is clearly evident in the road traffic offences, crashes and fatalities in the country.

    Before delving more on what obtains in Nigeria today, I would like to mention how the result-oriented Graduated Driver Licensing system operates successfully in the United States of America (USA).

    Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) programmes are designed to offer Drivers the priviledge of structured learning for the promotion of basic knowledge and skills in driving over an extended period of time.

    The three stages in the GDL are:

    1. Learner’s Permit Stage:  At this stage, Trainee Drivers are to hold a Learner’s permit for a period ranging from six months to one year. During this period, the trainee driver must enroll in an approved or certified driving school and undergo comprehensive theory and practical training sessions. The trainee driver may drive only when accompanied by an adult – licensed driver (supervised driving) he or she must not carry other passengers and must not drive late at night. Before the candidate can proceed to the next stage, he must have driven for not less than 50hours and without committing any traffic offence or at – fault accidents. When certified okay, he or she will them proceed to the Intermediate stage (after passing the standard theory and practical tests).

    2. Intermediate Stage – This is also known as the probationary or provisional licence stage. Though the Driver at this stage are allowed to drive unsupervised, they are however restricted from driving late at night and they are mandated to take a second during training classes in an approved or certified driving school during this stage. Once they  have been certified competent without committing any traffic offence and at – fault accidents, they will then proceed to the full Licence stage.

    3. Full Licence Stage – “After meeting the requirements of the Learner’s and Intermediate stages, with satisfactory evidences of their attendance of approved or certified driving schools for the acquisition of requisite driving knowledge and skills, he can then proceed to process and obtain full licence.

    The above licensing process may look tedious or long but no period is too long. So far, it prevents the loss of irreparable lives and valuable properties. It is better to be late than to be the late. Life has no duplicate. This Graduated Driver Licence programme is being successfully implemented in America with commendable reduction in the rate of road crashes and fatalities.

     

     

     

    The Nigerian Graduated Driver Licence Scheme was tailored after the America system but its implementation in Nigeria has been so bastardised that rather than leading to a reduction in the rate of road crashes and fatalities, it is on the increase.

    As at the time I am writing this article, there are thousands of Nigerians holding the new Driver licence without knowing how to drive, not to talk of knowing the traffic signs among others.

    Some officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Vehicle Inspection Departments, Motor Vehicle Licensing Authority, Driving Schools and Hospitals are conspiring together to racketeer the Driver Licence issuance through the backdoor and even front door bastardisation of the process thereby making an international mockery of the Nigerian Graduated Driver Licence programme.

    Majority of the Drivers holding or processing the new Driver Licence in Nigeria did not go to any Driving School to acquire driving knowledge and skills. After paying their way through, they only go for FRSC data Capturing.

    Sadly, no party among the Stakeholder is ignorant of this dastardly act but little or nothing is being done to halt it herby putting more and more innocent Nigerians at risk on the road. Many of the FRSC, VIO and MVAA Officials and their collaborators have become sudden multi – millionaires while the obedient Driving Schools are hungry and yawning without Drivers to train.

    Hospitals are also guilty of issuing certificates of fitness for Driver Licence candidates they did not even see nor test. When shall we stop putting personal gain above public interest in Nigeria?

    I believe that very soon, when Nigerian Governments and Government Agencies responsible for the issuance of Driver Licence are being taken to court for the settlement of Compensation to the innocent victims of road accidents, they will know that the safety of lives and properties should not be sacrificed on the altar of filthy lucre.

    One of the ways this negative conspiracy in Driver Licence processing can be stopped is by stopping the use of fake old Driver Licence to process new Driver Licence and let all the Candidates go through Driving Schools as Learners but the perpetrators of the evil are consistently resisting every move to stop such renewal because of the illicit money they are making from it. Hence the continued illegal production of fake Driver Licence in Nigeria.

    For the GDL system to work and accomplish its objectives in Nigeria, all renewals with the old Driver Licence must be stopped and whether or not you know how to drive, once you don’t have the new Driver Licence, you must be subjected to the steps highlighted below no matter your position or status in the country.

    STEP 1 – That every experienced Driver that wants to renew the old Driver Licence or obtain a new one afresh should go to the Driving School as a Fresher for thorough Assessment in both Theory and Practical with more focus on the Knowledge of the information in the Highway Code (Traffic Signs, Road Markings, Signals and Defensive Driving rules among others) for need Assessment.

    STEP 2 – That the Driving Schools should register the Candidates and Upload their information into the Data base of the Federal Road Safety Commission as it obtains for BASIC LEARNERS.

    STEP 3 – That step 2 should be complemented with the submission of the Data and Reports of the Candidates to the FRSC Unit Commands responsible for the supervision or monitoring of the Driving Schools in their Domains in case there is a challenge in uploading the information of the registered Candidates through the website of FRSC.

    STEP 4 – Learner Permits will be issued to the Candidates (3months Duration as it currently obtains).

    STEP 5 – The Candidates will be exposed to the relevant theory and practical training sessions depending on the result of the need assessment carried out by the Driving Schools in stage 1. The Assessment result will also determine the duration and charges by the Driving Schools.

    STEP 6 – After the refresher training sessions, the Candidates should be allowed to drive for 3months till the expiration of the Learner’s permits, after which they can then commence the processing of their Driver Licence (as it obtains for Learners) if he or she did not commits traffic offences and at – fault accidents. Appropriate Theory and Practical Tests must be administered and passed by the Candidates.

    STEP 7 – Any Candidate whose registration information is not in the Database of FRSC through website uploading and/or FRSC unit commands must be denied Driver Licence (at the Licence production stage).

    There should be adequate print and electronic media public enlightenment programmes by the stakeholders to inform Nigerians that their Driver Licence will not be produced if they don’t follow all the steps from registration stage to the end (and a prove that they obtained the necessary training in Driving Schools)

    CAUTION

    If the above steps are not fully adopted and enforced, the secret production of fake Driver Licence will continue to thrive for presentation to compromising Driving Schools that will be issuing such Candidates with certificates and Learner’s permits to go for direct processing of Driver Licence.

    b. Mechanics, unregistered Driving Schools and other Individuals who are not Driving School owners will continue to train Candidates who will dubiously be approaching Driving Schools for their certificates, claiming that they already knows how to drive. But with the above steps fully taken, they would prefer to patronize the Certified Driving Schools rather than going through the process twice and at double costs. This will also be an opportunity to properly groom the Drivers with the requisite knowledge and skills for safe Driving.

    c. Driving Schools that issued their certificates to Candidates without the information of the Candidates submitted to FRSC website and/or supervising Unit commands (Spanning the 3months duration) should be sanctioned.

    d. All Driving Schools should submit the list of candidates they presented for Licence processing on monthly basis to the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) as a form of checks and balances.

    e. There should be a monthly interactive session of the FRSC with the National Executive Officers of the Association of Driving Instructors of Nigeria (ADIN) to deliberate on the level of compliance by the FRSC and the Driving Schools FRSC Licence production Department should give the Officers of the Association (ADIN) the priviledge of seeing the list of Candidates presented for Licence production every month and compare with the list submitted by its Members to know the level of compliance and effectiveness.

    This if done will also put a stop to the cloning and unauthorized use of Driving School certificates by FRSC, VIO and MVAA for Driver Licence racketeering.

    f. Possession or use of the old Licence should be declared illegal and any Candidate holding the old Driver Licence and the fake new Licence should be arrested and prosecuted. There must be open air announcements to enlighten Nigerians on this.

    g. It is a truism that safety of irreparable lives and valuable properties must not be compromised. It therefore behooves the Authorities of the Federal Road Safety Commission and other Stakeholders, not to give room to favouritism in the implementation of the above-mentioned steps, no matter the status or position of the Candidates either in the Government or private sector.

    h. The Federal Road Safety Commission should embark on secret monitoring of Driving Schools and FRSC capturing centres/Licence production Department to ensure full compliance with the steps suggested above.

    i. Call a stakeholders meeting comprising of Representatives of FRSC, State VIO, MVAA and Association of Driving Schools (ADIN) and notify them of the new policy and procedures to enhance confidence and compliance.

    The above are just our suggestions to your goodselves for consideration based on our experience and findings in the past few years.

    We are very confident that if strictly implemented, they will put an end to the sharp practices hitherto perpetrated by Driving Schools (Certified and Uncertified), FRSC, MVAA and VIO. This will also go a very long way in further boosting the accomplishment of the objectives of the Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme as well as the reduction of road traffic crashes and fatalities in Nigeria.

    Any Government official, Driving School, Organisation or Individual that is still opposed to the adoption and implementation of the steps suggested above is either a direct or indirect beneficiary of the Driver Licence racketeering conspiracy or ignorant of the workability of the Graduated Driver Licensing Scheme.

    It is time for the Federal Government, State Governments, National Assembly, State Assemblies and the Judiciary to rise up to their responsibilities as touching Road Safety in Nigeria to reduce the rate of Crashes and Fatalities in Nigeria. Let us all put a stop to lip service while innocent lives and valuable properties are wasting away on Nigeria roads everyday.

  • Edo and the menace of VIO

    SIR: Within three days I was stopped six times by six different teams of Vehicle Inspection Officers in Benin City.  Each time, the officials introduced themselves and say “Sir we are the VIO.  We are on vehicle inspection to ensure safety and reduce accidents”.

    Thereafter, they request for my particulars, drivers’ licence, fire extinguisher and inspect my spare tyres.  They conclude the checks by asking me to switch on my lights; head lights, brake lights, reverse lights and blinkers (trafficators).

    I kept asking why me?  Is it because I drive a 1990 Nissan model car?  None of my friends has had the same experience.  One told me to avoid the slow lane on the roads where they stay.  Another told me he does not stop because VIOs have no guns and none of the officers is willing to risk his life for the job.  And another advised me to use my SUV whenever I am going out.  There is also a general consensus that the presence of VIO on the streets of Benin-City is for revenue generation not vehicle safety.

    I have also observed that they do not stop buses or taxi drivers.  Vehicles in these two categories hardly meet up to the standards they expect from me.  Majority of them do not have lights, side-view mirrors or even spare tyres and they get by the VIO without any caution.  These vehicles convey passengers and one would have expected that if the aim was vehicle safety, such vehicles should be made to meet the standards.  I have been made to understand that there is an informal agreement between the commercial vehicle drivers and VIOs. It has been alleged that several VIO officials were former commercial drivers/conductors and would not want to hurt their former colleagues.

    The Edo State VIO has in my opinion chosen a difficult way to monitor vehicle safety.  Every year, the car owner is supposed to renew his Roadworthiness Certificate.  This piece of paper is given without inspecting the vehicles.  All one needs to do is to pay double the official N500 price to the revenue officials who will then settle VIO.  Can the Edo State VIO not set up several offices in town?  These offices must have enough space to take several cars as anyone who wants to renew the Road-worthiness certificate must bring his car for inspection.  Hopefully, vehicle owners will fix the lights and other things before showing up or they may just settle VIO directly.

    In all my encounters with them, they are yet to find a fault with my car.  So it is very refreshing to see the frustrating look on their faces when they ask me to drive off.  “Bad Market!”

    • Nehemiah Sokponba

    Medical Store Road,

    Benin-City.

     

  • New road-side policing?

    New road-side policing?

    Citizens need to be properly educated about the role of FRSC and VIO

    A few months ago, the current Inspector-General of Police did what most Nigerians had considered impossible. He put an end to police roadblocks across the country. At the beginning, most Nigerians did not believe he would have the courage to keep toll-collecting police officers off the highways and intra-city roads. But as soon as it became clear that the no-nonsense IG was ready to fire road-blocking police officers, Nigerians heaved a sigh of relief and praised the IG for his braveness. A few months after this micro revolution, citizens are back to harassment by new groups of uniformed men on highways and city roads.

    Members of the Federal Road Safety Commission appear to have succeeded members of the Nigerian Police Force on road-side duties. FRSC red-capped men and women are now as ubiquitous on all roads between towns as the federal police withdrawn from the road a few months ago. Just like the police before them, FRSC officers stop moving vehicles on the highway and on streets within towns that are clearly not federal roads. Like the NPF men and women, FRSC officers dutifully ask for driver’s licenses, vehicle registration, insurance papers, fire extinguishers, etc. They even stop and delay drivers whose tail lights are out.

    I rode with a brother recently. He was flagged down on the Lagos-Ibadan highway around noon. After producing every document requested of him by the FRSC men, he was told that the passenger-side rear light “was not working.” My brother responded that this must have just happened and that he would fix it in Ibadan. I expected the FRSC men to give him a warning, but they quickly handed my brother a N2000 ticket, asking him to turn in his driver’s license. Of course, several mini-buses that were stopped did not experience much delay. They were quick to stretch their hands to the men in red caps. My brother blamed me for refusing to sit at the back. He was right; all the cars with one or two persons at the back were ignored by the officers. I quickly learnt my lesson and chose to sit at the back (at the so-called owner’s corner) on our way back.

    On our way back from Ibadan the same day, we saw a new set of road policemen. These were Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO). Like the FRSC officers we saw in the morning, they too were there to ensure safety on the road. Five or so buses were stopped in front of us. Even though we were not flagged down, I got down out of curiosity to ask one of the bus drivers what the problem was. The VIOs were asking commercial bus drivers the same set of questions that we were asked in the morning by FRSC officers. One of the officers came to ask me for my identity and why I had stopped without being asked to do so. I told him I just wanted to know what they were doing on the highway. He told me with a stern look, “doing our job and please do not block the traffic sir.”

    Even on Ikeja roads, FRSC and VIO are competing for attention or business. It is not uncommon to come across these men and women within half a mile on the same road on the same day in Ikeja, particularly on Olowopopo Avenue and Agidingbi Road. As if the FRSC and VIO are not enough menace on the roads, men of the Nigerian Customs are also stopping moving vehicles on Funsho Williams Avenue, Ibadan-Ife and Sagamu-Ore roads, to name a few. In their own case, Customs men claim to be searching for smuggled goods. They ask drivers to produce their customs papers, even when the vehicles carry proper registration documents. One Customs officer even accused me between Araromi-Obu and J-4 of driving a car that must have been undervalued, saying “the amount paid on the car was rather small.” I assured the officer that I bought the car in Nigeria from someone who had used it in the country for more than two years before I bought it. I was luckier than other road users. The chubby customs officer released my papers.

    One point arising from the replacement of NPF with FRSC, VIO, and NC men on the roads is the increasing harassment of citizens, particularly commercial drivers. It does not make sense to save road users from the menace of one armed force and put them in the jaws of men and women of three other forces. There must be better ways for Customs men to prevent smuggled goods from entering the country. This is why there are ports of entry into the country. Customs officers checking for smuggled goods outside the airport or in places that have no borders with other countries must have ulterior motives.

    Citizens need to be properly educated about the role of FRSC and VIO. Are they competing agencies? At the beginning, FRSC officers were to enforce speed limit on highways. VIO was principally responsible for ensuring that those who obtain driver’s license are certified to do so. These two agencies now behave like customs men. They wait outside their offices to ascertain that drivers have proper documents. FRSC men no longer enforce speed limit. They are not even properly equipped to do so. There are no radars to ascertain that drivers are driving within speed limit. There are no signs to indicate speed limit from zone to zone. Unlike what obtains in other countries, there is no agency that certifies periodically that vehicles are safe to be put on the road. In other places, vehicles are checked for mechanical fitness and emission control and certificates are issued for passing such inspection. Para-military men and women are not given beats on the highways to do this.

    People calling for death penalty for corruption have to be careful. There may be a need for Sharia sensibility, given the enormity of corruption in the land. But too many (if not all) of our MDAs are designed to encourage corruption. For example, there is no good reason to centralize license and vehicle registration. Any surprise that FRSC is becoming another central police?