The House of Representatives Committees on Federal Road Safety Commission have been mandated to investigate the high cost, delay and lack of due process in the issuance of drivers’ licenses in Nigeria. This came as the House passed a resolution on the matter at its plenary session on Thursday, 26th April, 2018 and gave the said Committee eight (8) weeks to report back for further legislative action
Presenting the motion Hon. Johnson Egwakhide Oguma (APC: Edo) highlighted the importance of certifying the rising number of drivers on Nigerian roads and ensuring they had acquired government approved licenses. He also stated that although the approved rate by the Joint Task Force for driver’s license was N6350 for a two (2) year license and N10,000 for a five (5) year license, most Nigerians were illegitimately charged N18,000 for a two (2) year license and N25,000 for a five (5) year license.
Speaking further, Hon. Oghuma said that the House was aware of a general outcry that the process of acquiring a driver’s license was cumbersome, taking about 90 to 180 days for renewal while first timers were often given a temporary driver’s license without undergoing mandatory tests in most cases. In addition, the lawmaker stated that due to the excessive charges and delay in the release of drivers’ licenses, prospective drivers often resulted to self-help by driving without the appropriate documents or in some other cases desperately resorting to forging their licenses. The lawmaker warned of the danger of the present circumstances faced by road users saying that it exposed qualified and legally accredited drivers to inexperienced drivers and could lead to a decline of revenue to the Government if left unchecked.
Hon. Oghuma then called on the House to exercise its oversight function by ensuring that driver’s license are processed at official rates and within the shortest time frame while ensuring that proper trainings and tests are carried out for first time applicants at the same time.
