The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate operational issues related to driver’s licence issuance, revenue generation and usage within the last three years.
The resolution was a sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. Victor Ogene (APC-Bayelsa) at the plenary on Wednesday.
Moving the motion, Ogene said that a tripartite arrangement between the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), State Boards of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) led to the digital issuance or renewal of a driver’s license.
He said that the approving signature on a driver’s licence typically comes from a designated officer at the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) in the state where the licence application originated.
He explained that a learner’s permit for driving a vehicle was first issued at a prescribed fee by Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA) in the relevant state before the release of a driver’s licence.
According to him, FRSC operates a Very Important Person (VIP) centre, ostensibly for the renewal of a driver’s licence, which is reportedly being used for issuing fresh driver’s licences that are not preceded with a learner’s permit.
Ogene said that the Joint Tax Board (JTB) reviewed the fees payable for a five-year and three-year driver’s licence to N21,000 and N15,000, respectively, for a vehicle and N11,000 and N7,000, respectively, for a motorcycle or tricycle, since Nov. 1, 2024.
“FRSC is alleged to use its Information Processing Centre (IPC) for warehousing data for driver’s licences and shortchange the state Boards of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) in the collection and usage of fees for processing driver’s licences.
“Worried that FRSC is reportedly controlling and receiving accounts for drivers’ licence fees, the yearly revenue generated from chargeable fees, which amounts to hundreds of billions of naira, is also allegedly unaccounted for by the VIO and various state boards of internal revenue.
“Disturbed that the processing of drivers’ licences is unexplainably being delayed for upward of two to three years after the biometric data capturing of applicants.
“Also disturbed that the huge debts the FRSC owes Galaxy Backbone Ltd. and other system consultants who are the network providers and maintainers of the biometrics data capturing system are responsible for the system slowdown and the resultant long delay in the issuance of driver’s licences,” he said.
Ogene also expressed the need to clearly ascertain which public agency had the legal responsibility of designing, producing and issuing a driver’s licence.
In his ruling, Speaker of the House, Rep. Abbas Tajudeen, said that the committee, when constituted, would report its findings within four weeks for further legislative action. (NAN)
