…Harps on Integrity of the National Identification Scheme
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith the efficiency introduced into the management of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme (NVIS) through the integrity of the number plates, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has been able to recover seventy five (75) stolen vehicles this year at its registration centres across the country.
This was disclosed by the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi while declaring open meeting with the chairmen of State Boards of Internal Revenue and their Motor Vehicle Registration Consultants at the FRSC National Headquarters Abuja.
According to the Corps Marshal, the launch of the National Uniform Licensing Scheme in 1990 by Nigeria was in line with the global efforts at proper identification of drivers and vehicles through integrated vehicle identification system that involves personalization of the number plates for easy retrieval of information whenever the need arises.
While welcoming the participants, Oyeyemi noted that successive reforms carried out by the FRSC on the scheme has to resolution of some of the challenges including double registration in some states. He pointed out that the meeting was to enable the participants to interact and share ideas in the collective desire to proffer solutions to some identified challenges hindering effective implementation of the policy on the new number plates.
The Corps Marshal harped on the need for robust data at the number plate centres through timely upload of information on the licensed vehicles, stressing that with the growing use of vehicles for criminal and violent activities, the need for sustained improvement on the licensing system to make the identification of the perpetrators easier cannot be overemphasized. He called on all stakeholders to join hands with the FRSC to ensure greater efficiency in the motor licensing system of the country.
Oyeyemi expressed displeasure at the practice of some officials of the licensing offices who fail to do timely upload of the number plates issued to vehicles, saying such delay could negatively affect the ability of security agencies to trace a suspected vehicle to its real owner. He said, under the new licensing system, number plates registered in the name of a particular vehicle owner remains personal to the person and would be removed whenever the vehicle is sold to a new buyer who would be made to follow the procedure to register the vehicle.
He commended the state Boards of Internal Revenue for their support and commitment to improving the efficiency of the licensing system of the country and called for sustained commitment for safety and security of Nigerians
In his opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, Oseni Elamah commended the leadership of the FRSC for the commitment it has shown towards ensuring the success of the National Vehicle Identification Scheme by ensuring that the details of all registered vehicles are domiciled in the National Database. He called for sustained efforts by the Chairmen and consultants to their consultants to ensure that details of all registered vehicles are forwarded immediately to the FRSC for upload into the database for seamless operations as being done in Lagos and some states.
“Let me, therefore, remind you that the data being uploaded is not for tax assessment, but for proper economic planning, research, provision of necessary infrastructure and improvement of the national security,” he stated.
The meeting with some chairmen of state Boards of Internal Revenue and their Motor Vehicle Registration consultants had in attendance, participants from ten states of the Federation including Sokoto, Kaduna, Lagos, Plateau, Anambra and Ekiti. Others were Gombe, Akwa Ibom and FCT, while Osun was absent.
