House Wants New Number Plate Project Halted

By  Onwuka Nzeshi     
 
The House of Representatives Tuesday urged the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) to suspend the implementation of its new policy on vehicle licences and number plates, saying the policy had cost implications that could worsen the poverty situation of Nigerians.
In the meantime, the lower chamber of the National Assembly has mandated its committee on the FRSC to investigate the "rationale, necessity and circumstances" behind the policy. The committee is expected to conduct the investigations and submit the report of its findings in four weeks.
The FRSC had a few months ago launched the new policy in which it plans to phase out the existing vehicle licences and plate numbers and replace them with new ones.
The policy which apparently received presidential endorsement has since begun at a pilot phase but will fully come into force next year.
Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Sam Tsokwa, set the tone for the probe of the project yesterday when he came through a motion of urgent public importance and alerted the House on the implications of allowing the FRSC to continue its implementation.
In the lead debate, Tsokwa argued that whereas the law establishing the FRSC gave it the mandate to regulate road traffic and ensure safety on the roads, the commission had abandoned its core functions and concentrated efforts on frequent changes in vehicle number plates at exorbitant prices.
He stated that the FRSC was not established as a revenue generating agency and should hands off projects that would portray it as an institution where projects were designed solely to milk the
masses.
He disclosed that the new number plates and licences would cost vehicle owners at least additional forty per cent of the price of the existing licence and number plates.
Tsokwa alleged that the new policy was being propelled by a powerful clique led by a proxy-consultant whose principal interest was pecuniary.
"It is worrisome that the FRSC has at her whims and caprice phased out, introduced and re-introduced, at various points in time and with utmost disregard to the feelings and pains of Nigerian masses, new vehicle  number plates and licences .
"At every instance that a new policy on vehicle  number plates  and licences are introduced and implemented, vehicle owners get poorer as they are made to pay more than was the price for the same commodity," he said.
Although the motion enjoyed popular support from the lawmakers, most of whom were concerned about the huge cost of procuring new licences and number plates, there were also some lawmakers who called for caution.
Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Leo Ogor, said while the House should be seen to be on the side of the people, the should also be consideration for the security implications of the project.
Ogor said while he would not hold brief for FRSC, he was aware that part of the motivation behind the new policy was to ensure a central database for all vehicles in the country to enhance easy tracking and identification of their owners in view of the emerging challenges of car bombing and other acts of terrorism in the country.

Source: ThisDay

Some good news from Abuja at last.

Didi Love:


Ogor said while he would not hold brief for FRSC, he was aware that part of the motivation behind the new policy was to ensure a central database for all vehicles in the country to enhance easy tracking and identification of their owners in view of the emerging challenges of car bombing and other acts of terrorism in the country.

Source: ThisDay

Let's not be decisive by this man. The reason for implementation of this project being to ensure central database is false. The current Number Plate is issued by the FRSC only, there is no way the FRSC cannot have an up-to-date central database.

the same reason for the old one is what they are giving us for the new. and they are not putting anything in any database. at least not yet. cos i paid twice for a single plate (the new one) and their machine couldnt detect that i had already been registered.
what they should do is
when next any car comees to renew their papers, obtain the data of the owners. simple!!!

what this ppl want is money money money. they only want to milk Nigerians dry. Data base my foot. why did they triple the price of d new one if what they really want is to feed d info into the central data?

At the end of the day, the change will be effected.
This Chijoka guy at FRSC is a dangerous fellow.
same with the NCC guy that collected 6 billion to tdo a SIM registration that operators were already doing.
central database,my foot!!

Knight1:

the same reason for the old one is what they are giving us for the new. and they are not putting anything in any database. at least not yet. cos i paid twice for a single plate (the new one) and their machine couldnt detect that i had already been registered.
what they should do is
when next any car comees to renew their papers, obtain the data of the owners. simple!!!

My fears exactly. We keep hearing of databse this, database that yet nothing to show for the huge deployment of financial and human resources to similar exercises over the years. When are we ever going to get it right?

NCP Population Census
National ID Card Project
NCC SIM card Registration
INEC Voter Registration
FRSC Motor Vehicle Registration

To be frank I dont understand this new number plate issue at all. I'm getting pissed off for this govt. because I dont know why our govt just like wasting money all the time I was shock when I read how many Millions of Naira that would go for plate number this is so sad.

Pls Fed. govt. give us Electricity, give us road, give us education and leave plate number aside for now plzzzzzzzz.

NCP Population Census, National ID Card Project, NCC SIM card Registration, INEC Voter Registration AND NOW IS PLATE NUMBER abeg na wetinnnn for God sake.

Thank God for the Rep member that moved the motion, Every Govt Agency has been milking the masses tru one stupid policy or the other, Osita don't want to be left outside the ring of exploiting and Impeverishing Nigerians. How many times we go dey established database.

Didi Love:

My fears exactly. We keep hearing of databse this, database that yet nothing to show for the huge deployment of financial and human resources to similar exercises over the years. When are we ever going to get it right?

NCP Population Census
National ID Card Project
NCC SIM card Registration
INEC Voter Registration
FRSC Motor Vehicle Registration

A lot of vehicles on the road with no plate numbers, please was it because of the new ones that they have stop to issue numbers. And pls what is the process for collecting a plate number here in nigeria.

Thanks will appreciate some responses.

naija!!!

I pray God sees us through 2012 with the sort of policies they are bent on implementing:

New Number plates and Drivers license even for old cars.
Lekki toll
Fuel Subsidy removal-Increase in fuel price
Re-introduction of toll gates
Increase in electricity tariff
Default in payment of minimum wage

Further milking of the over taxed populace.
Is Italy's and Greek austerity measures as bad as these?

Haba, why the noise? House of Reps. wants to sort out some ''Very Vital Issues'' regarding the new number plates, their kick backs needs to be secured.

oboy oh, wey pesin 4 take cough out d 30k abi 40k 4 dat one? I'm relieved now.
Now remaining fuel Subsidy,toll gate,fuel road tax to go,
O ga adi egwu nxt year.
I still remember that route to cameroun

Bought a car 6 weeks ago and still can't get number plates. 6 weeks!

The old one has been stopped while the new ones are yet to be issued!

Every time you ask they tell you next week, next week.

I suppose the police are having a field day checking vehicle papers with the imaginable number of vehicles on the roads now with borrowed/false plates, esp in Lagos.

And they say its not a failed state. . . tschhh!

I would really want to praise the House Of Representatives, but the truth is that any idiot knows that this entire New Plate Number project is a complete waste. Even the plate numbers we have right now, we have not been able to maximize the use of it.

They should scrap the FRSC for coming out with this imbecillic proposal which will cost tens of billions of dollars.

The growing number of un-registered cars on Lagos roads will gradually increase incidences of car-snatching.

Why will people in government never put on thier thinking caps for once and consider the implications of certain policies before mooting them speak less of implementing them. Such ill-timed policies are purely draconian.

PRESIDENT'S TENURE ELONGATION
REMOVAL OF PETROLEUM SUBSIDY
RE-INTRODUCTION OF TOLL FEES ON FEDERAL HIGHWAYS and LEKKI/EPE EXPRESSWAY
PLANNED INCREASE OF ELECTRICITY TARRIFS

When will all this rubbish come to an end? Government is so detached from reality. Those infected orangutangs in A-rock don't buy petrol, they don't pay electricity bills, they don't ply inter-state roads. How will they know what the average Nigerian goes thru just to ekk a living? HOW CAN YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!!

This sham in the name of governance must stop!

chuks49:

Haba, why the noise? House of Reps. wants to sort out some ''Very Vital Issues'' regarding the new number plates, their kick backs needs to be secured.

its possible their only interest is settlement but its still a good idea that someone is saying the new number plate is a totally stupid and useless idea and it will only be an avenue for FRSC and of course the police to extort the masses

I have no problem with changing of plate numbers so long as its free

Good one 4rm d Legislative arm at least 4 once.

They have no reason at all. the clique wants to make money for themselves thru contract kick backs and all that. They are not satisfy with the 'proceed' from new drivining license scheme. Wicked leaders!!!!!!!

not at all[img]http://2.s07.flagcounter.com/count/DymW/bg=E6E6E5/txt=E6E6E5/border=E6E6E5/columns=1/maxflags=1/viewers=3/labels=0/[/img]
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Data base everytime,every agency wants to av its own data base;next d ministry of housing wi want a data base of all tenants and landlords;den d fisheries dpt wi demand a data base of all fish consumers so as to introduce a fisheries tax for d maintenance of all d rivers,waterways and oceans in d country!

HON LEO OGOR should not just talk about data base issue here to support FRCN for this project. It is very easy for FRCN to collect info on all vehicles used in this country since they are solely responsible for the issuance of this plate number and no other body has or assisted them on this before. Presently, they find it very difficult to issue common drivers license of which some part of the United states, it takes same hour you applied for it that you collect it, unless you want it mailed to your home address.In some cases in Nigeria, it can take some areas upto 6 months to collect after all the bribes they collect.

Now let them tell us what their duty has been? Everybody renews his/her vehicle papers every year in and year out with these so called FRCN officials checking papers here and there. Since they collect money for Renewal of all cars in this country, what stops them to use same process to update their records along for the data base? We do not have double vehicle plate numbers in this Country. What they should do is to use D/L number to act as means of updating their records by making sure that your license is keyed in the data base with the vehicle plate number. They should then have a central computer system that will store the info. All FRCN offices in all the states of the federation must have their own computer network from where they will hook up with the federal data base.

Someone want to create wealth to the detriment of the suffering masses. Let them tackle GBoko Haram than this issue.

They know what to do and not the issue of license plate numbers. People are hungry. No road. The money FRCN wants to generate, what do they want to do with it? Someone in collaboration with some FRCN officials are working towards creating wealth and smiling to the banks.

If they are real, since vehicles are been renewed every year, they should issue it without collecting money. It should be done without collecting a dime and when you want to renew your papers for the year, they should give you a new plate number free if that is what they want.

First time in History that a reasonable man stood up in Abuja to speak for the masses. . .
Thats a positive step.

its not free, d new driver license is 6k, den new plate numba is 10k, alltogether is 16k, pls it shd nt work oo, thumbs up to dat man fightin against it

i see no gaddam need for any new number plate for any gaddam dbase. FRSC,can get whatever data they want to get within a year since vehicle particulars are renewable yearly,once the vehicle owners come for renewal they can collect all the info they need for their elephant database!

Jonathan should be reasonable.He does not have the interest of the masses at heart.If he cannot rule this country ,he should step aside.He has exercised imcompentency on many occassions.He has failed Nigerian looking up to him to do well.