The Federal Road Safety Corps has backtracked on its plan to clampdown on vehicle owners who have not procured its new number plate and driver’s licence by August 1.
The agency said it had not fixed a deadline for a nationwide enforcement of the new number plate for vehicles and driving licence. It, therefore, cautioned its commanding officers against clampdown on motorists.
The Lagos State Sector Commander, FRSC, Chidi Nkwonta, had said that the corps would commence the enforcement in violation of a Federal High Court order which ruled that the corps had no constitutional power to compel Nigerians to procure the new number plate and driver’s license.
But the corps in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, stated that it stood on its earlier deferment of the enforcement in obedience to a court order on the matter.
The statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Julius Agwu, said that the FRSC would continue to abide by the decision of the Joint Tax Board, which suspended the enforcement of the enhanced Motor Vehicle Number Plate and the Driving Licence, pending the outcome of the appeal by the FRSC.
It said, “For avoidance of doubt, the Corps wishes to state that it still stands on the earlier resolve to defer enforcement of the new number plate and driver’s license following the suspension of the June 30, 2014 deadline for a change to the enhanced motor vehicle number plate by the Joint Tax Board, which is statutorily mandated to determine road taxes, including prices of number plates and driving licence.
“The board had decided after its 129th meeting held on April 23 and 24, 2014 at the headquarters of Edo State Internal Revenue Services in Benin that in the light of the court judgment against the FRSC, the board decided to suspend the June 30, 2014 deadline earlier announced for a change to enhanced Motor Vehicle Number Plate and the Driving Licence, pending the outcome of the appeal by the FRSC.”
