Contrary to media reports, the Federal
Road Safety Corps wishes to reiterate that it has not fixed a deadline for a
nationwide enforcement of the new number vehicle number plate and driver’s
license.
This is coming on the heels of
inundated media reports and on-line publications of a proposed plan by the FRSC
to commence a nationwide clamp down on vehicle owners/ motorists from 1st
August, 2014 for non-compliance with the directive on the new vehicle number
plate and driver’s license.
For avoidance of doubt, the Corps
wishes to state that it still stands on the earlier resolve to defer
enforcement of the new number plate and driver’s license following the
suspension of the 30th June 2014 deadline for a change to the
enhanced motor vehicle number plate by the Joint Tax Board which is statutorily
mandated to determine road taxes including prices of number plates and driver’s
license. The Joint Tax Board is an umbrella body of State Chairmen of Boards of
Internal Revenue.
The Board had decided after its 129th
meeting held on 23rd and 24th April, 2014 at the
Headquarters of Edo State Internal Revenue Services in Benin that:
a. “In the
light of the Court judgment against the FRSC, the Board decided to suspend the
30th June, 2014 deadline earlier announced for a change to
enhanced Motor Vehicle Number Plate and the Driver’s License pending the
outcome of the appeal by the FRSC”
b. “The
States Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the
Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIOs) have been encouraged to put all necessary
logistics in place to improve Motor Vehicle registration and issuance of
Driver’s License in order to build a comprehensive database”.
In the light of the above, the Corps
wishes to re-iterate an earlier directive to its Commanding Officers to defer
enforcement on the deadline, in keeping with the JTB suspension and the court
ruling pending the determination of the appeal.
Motorists are however urged to renew
their driver’s and vehicle licenses as they expire in line with extant
provisions of the law.
ACM. Jonas Agwu
Corps Public Education Officer