The Vice-President of Urban Bus Owners Association Mr. Musafau Salami has faulted the proposed plan by the authorities of the Federal Road Safety Corporation to phase out the current motor vehicles plate numbers and licenses with new ones describing such moves as fraudulent.
He made this assertion when he addressed the Press at his Mechanic Village office in Ogudu GRA on the outskirt of Lagos over the weekend.
Apparently piqued by what he called the now very rampant and regular periods the authorities changes plate numbers and licenses, he said this fresh proposal is designed to enrich those mooting the idea. He said he came to this summation because the features on the new number plates as explained by officials of the Commission, shows that it does not differ from the ones presently in circulation.
”As far as I am concerned, there is no visible difference from what they are touting, it is the common method by which government officials fleece the public of their hard earned money. They are quick at touting changes even when it is not necessary and proceeds from such exercise are never accounted for. Was it not reported not too long how a former official of the Commission diverted millions of Naira to his private use and till date nothing came out of the enquiry set up by government.” Salami said.
Wondering why the government that has failed to address the issue of epileptic power supply, bad roads that are simply death traps of the same people who voted them into office, the decaying educational system as well as inadequate or non existing basic infrastructure only think of scheme that will further impoverished Nigerians. He argued that if the introduction was for newly purchased vehicles it would have been ideal but for the Commission to say it is for all vehicles without recourse that the ones presently been used has not suffer tear and wear is a sour taste in the mouth.
On what his association will do if the Commission insist on going ahead with the changes proposed, he said his association will seek the audience of Government with a view to persuading the Commission to jettison the proposal
He bemoaned the low rate at which those in the mechanical industry are performing these days and blamed government that had shied away from the policies formulated several years ago that mandated manufacturing companies to established assembly plants in the country like it is in South-Africa noting that not only would it have helped in employing our youths, but our vehicles would have been made to the specification that tallies with our environment as to checkmate the constant breakdown of vehicles on our roads.
On the deplorable roads in Lagos most especially the traffic gridlock experienced daily on Apapa Expressway, he advise the State government in the interest of its citizens and other residents who pay taxes to the coffers of the state, to at least ameliorate the suffering of the residents by promptly attending to the roads if not outright upgrading the roads because of the cost but should at least help fill pot-holes that is largely responsible for the traffic hold up.