LAGOS – The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday urged Nigerians to report any of its officers caught engaging in dubious practices in the ongoing issuance of the new driver’s license.
Mr Godwin Ogagaoghene, the Zonal Commanding Officer in charge of Ogun and Lagos States, made the plea during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Ogagaoghene said that the punishment for extortion in the process was outright dismissal.
“We just need the evidence of any staff found to have been involved in extortion.
“ If any of our staff is caught touting for the license, that staff will be dismissed on the spot.
“It is forbidden and we do not encourage it. We appeal to all concerned to just get the evidence of any staff involved and bring it to us; be assured that the appointment of such a staff with the corps will be immediately terminated.
“We frown seriously against touting; even those who do it outside, we arrest and prosecute them,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos State Sector Commander, said the command had partnered with an NGO to educate the applicants on procedures for processing and obtaining a genuine license.
Omeje said that the corps’ partnership with the CLEAN Foundation would further reduce corruption in the acquisition of of the document.
“The partnership between FRSC and the CLEAN Foundation is to sensitise the motoring public on procedures for obtaining the new national driver’s license.
“The whole essence of this is to enlighten the public so that certain individuals do not take undue advantage of them.
“We have discovered that there are lots of touts going from office to office, telling people that they can help them process the driver’s license.
“We want to let Nigerians and Lagosians especially that the issue of procurement of driver’s license is a process we call “do it yourself.’’
“If anyone say he can help you get drivers’ license bring N12, 000 or N15,000, you should know that such a person wants to take undue advantage of you,’’ he said.
According to him, applicants may go online to fill the form or pick the form and pay a fee of N6, 350 to the Licensing Office, before coming for capturing in any of the FRSC’s Registration Centers.
Mr Raphael Mbaegbu, Programme Officer, Research and Strategy Development, Clean Foundation, said that the plight of Nigerians in procuring the new license spurred the foundation into collaborating with the FRSC.
“We have come to realise that a lot of corruption is going on in the process of renewing and obtaining the new drivers’ license in Nigeria and the foundation frowns at any form of corruption.
“We discovered that a lot of touts have taken it as a business to defraud applicants.
“We felt the best way to go about it is to collaborate with the FRSC to sensitise people on the normal procedure in Abuja, Owerri and Lagos,’’ he said.
Mbaegbu expressed confidence that the sensitisation would reduce corruption in the process.
NAN reports that touts have taken over most of the FRSC centres for the issuance of the license, such that many of the applicants are issued with fake licenses. (NAN)
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