The Federal Road Safety Corps has recovered 75 stolen vehicles at various registration centres across the country.
The Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi attributed the recoveries to the
efficiency introduced into the National Vehicle Identification Scheme
through the integrity of the number plates.
Declaring open a meeting with the chairmen of State Boards of
Internal Revenue and their Motor Vehicle Registration Consultants at the
FRSC National Headquarters Abuja on Thursday, Oyeyemi explained that
some suspects were handed over to relevant government agencies for
investigation and prosecution, a statement by the Corps Public Education
Officer, Bisi Kazeem said.
It said the FRSC boss explained that the National Uniform Licensing
Scheme introduced in 1990 was in line with the global efforts at proper
identification of drivers and vehicles through integrated vehicle
identification system that involved personalization of the number plates
for easy retrieval of information whenever the need arises.
Oyeyemi noted that successive reforms carried out by the FRSC on
the scheme has addressed some of the challenges including double
registration in some states.
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 the need for sustained improvement on the licensing
system to make the identification of criminals easier.
He expressed displeasure over delayed upload of 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.”
The Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board, Oseni Elamah called
for sustained efforts by the Chairmen and 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.
