New Driver’s Licence: Senate Summons Transport Minister, FRSC Boss, FIRS Chief

The Senate, as part of its resolve to monitor the public transport regulations, has invited Transport Minister, Senator Idris Umar, Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru and the Chairman of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Osita Chidoka.

They are to appear at a public hearing today in the continued effort to resolve the imbroglio over the new price regime of driver's licence and number plates.

Other stakeholders invited to the public hearing are National Union of Road Transport Workers (N.U.R.T.W), Luxurious Bus Owners Association of Nigeria (L.U.B.A.N), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (R.T.E.A.N), Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN), Directors of Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIO) in the 36 States and the FCT, security agencies and civil society groups.

The invitation was issued through the Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

Committee Chairman, Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta has, however, dismissed insinuations that the proposed public hearing was a witch-hunt.

Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier directed the FRSC to stop the scheme until a resolution was reached on the matter.

Last month, Senate directed the Kuta committee to interface with the public on the new scheme over complaints that the FRSC stepped outside its mandate of protecting lives on Nigerian roads a move said to be motivated primarily by pecuniary interest

He had earlier sponsored a motion together with his deputy, Senator Babajide Omoworare, Senators Heineken Lokpobiri, Isa Galaudu Mohammed, Gbenga Ashafa, where he noted that FRSC stood to make at least N2 billion from the issuance of the new number plates and drivers’ licence.

Speaking with newsmen yesterday, Kuta said, “The public hearing on the new scheme is to get first-hand information from the public and stakeholders in the sector after which the National Assembly will now chart a way forward. Whoever is talking about a witch-hunt on this matter is, to me, simply uninformed.”

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