The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has debunked the claims that its personnel ambush and extort motorists over the enforcement of the new number plates.
Mr. Bisi Kazeem, FRSC Corps Public Education Officer, in a statement, insisted that its personnel never extorted money from any motorists on the highway over the enforcement.
Kazeem explained that pursuant to the introduction of the new number plate, FRSC duly informed the public of the new regime and further gave time for the replacement of the old number plate.
He hinted that Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshal, also ensured that the corps undertook a public enlightenment on the security benefits of changing from the old to the new number plate at the point of renewing their vehicle documents, which has only one year validity period.
Kazeem said that Item Four of the communiqué issued at the end of the 136th meeting of the Joint Tax Board (JTB) held on November 28, 2016 in Abuja, stated categorically that the renewal of vehicle particulars on the old number plates would be discontinued with effect from the next due date as measure to check fraud and enhance revenue collection.
He explained that the corps adopted the new number plate because of its security feature, which had helped in the harmonisation of data, both of vehicles and drivers information system in the central data base.
He added that the new database also had made it easier to track and apprehend criminals, especially those involved in car theft.
READ ALSO: Lalong awards scholarship to first class graduates from Plateau
The statement added: “It would be recalled that following the protests over the publication by FRSC of its intention to commence the arrest and prosecution of drivers or owners of vehicles using any number plate obtained under the repealed National Road Transport Regulation (NRTR) 2004 by 1st October, 2013; one Mr Emmanuel Ofoegbu instituted an action against FRSC at the Federal High Court in Lagos in FHC/CS/1332/13 Emmanuel Ofoegbu Vs FRSC.
“The Federal High Court presided over by Justice JT Tsoho held, inter-alia that FRSC had no statutory powers to set deadlines for change-over to the new number plates since there was no enabling law to that effect.”
Kazeem expressed that as a result of the ruling by the court, FRSC appealed the judgment in Court of Appeal and on October 31, 2014, stressing that the court sitting in Lagos unanimously held that the corps had statutory power in line with the 1999 Constitution under the FRSC (Establishment) Act, 2007 and the NRTR 2012 to regulate the use of number plates and to set deadlines for change-over to the new ones as provided for in the NRTR 2012.
He emphasised that the decision of the Court of Appeal, Lagos, had been appealed by Emmanuel Ofegbu, noting that there was no subsisting order of stay of execution of the judgment.
He stated that by the above decision of the court, it followed that there was no legal impediment against the enforcement of the provisions of the NRTR 2012 as it pertained to change over to the new number plates.
He insisted that the commencement of enforcement on the aforementioned was in tandem with the provisions of the law as stipulated in NRTR 2012 and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
