FRSC and its licensing fiascos

Two years ago at a Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals conference in Warri the FRSC Corps Marshal stated that Nigeria was ranked 191 out of 192 in the world’s unsafe roads.  Despite all official posturing absolutely nothing has changed. These casualty figures hide a massive human tragedy. Nigerians are being slaughtered on a daily basis […]

Two years ago at a Nigerian Institute of Safety Professionals conference in Warri the FRSC Corps Marshal stated that Nigeria was ranked 191 out of 192 in the world’s unsafe roads.  Despite all official posturing absolutely nothing has changed. These casualty figures hide a massive human tragedy. Nigerians are being slaughtered on a daily basis while top FRSC officials preen themselves, strut around saluting each other and decorate themselves with ranks in amateurish imitation of the military.  
 The Corps is a prime case study on how government organizations in Nigeria fail in service delivery. The once proud organization has lost focus, squandered the goodwill of the populace, and failed to significantly reduce the death rate on our highways. It isn’t a co-incidence that the countries with the safest roads in the world don’t have any special road safety corps.  In such countries road safety is an imbibed culture not a uniformed harassment of the public. Despite mounting criticism from many quarters government continues to disregard calls for re-organization and re-orientation of the Corps. Their never ending revenue generating schemes in the midst of continuing road carnage indicate their loss of focus.
Observers of the malaise suggest that the orga-nization should be renamed Federal Road Safety Service as this would incline them towards providing a service to Nigerians rather than harassing people. Like most government agencies the Corps now exists for itself. No longer concerned with service delivery they have evolved into a force that expects to be obeyed without question. While the body counts increase daily they concern themselves with irrelevancies. FRSC brokers no criticism of their failure despite all their innovations appearing to be exercises in self promotion and revenue generation rather than serious attempts to drastically reduce accidents on our highways.
Most of their programs, inno-vations and campaigns have proved to be an ill-conceived waste of time and money. Their image has not been helped by reports of employment scandals, creative accounting and contract bonanzas. The newly introduced driving license and number plate is indicative of the lack of concern for citizen’s rights and poor service delivery common to government organizations. Everyone knows the problems with on-line applications in Nigeria.
But FRSC went ahead to create problems for themselves and the public. Everyone knew they didn’t have the capacity to issue number plates within the stipulated time but they went ahead now are reversing themselves and extending the deadline as a show of ineptitude and poor planning.  Everyone knows the corruption associated with obtaining permits and documents from government offices but they still went ahead now neither the license nor number plate is available at the advertised price. In all their attempts to justify the new license FRSC can only point out the operational benefits to themselves not one benefit to the public.
They have shown an indecent haste in collecting people’s money long before they were in a position to render efficient service. In addition to logistical failures and obsession with revenue generation they have shown contempt for the long suffering public. They have chosen to trample on the rights of people who have licenses which expire after their deadline.
These licenses represent a contract between the owners and the government. If FRSC can just turn around and unilaterally cancel that contract, then what assurance is there that tomorrow the next Corps Marshal will not introduce a new more expensive license which everyone shall all be forced to buy?. No meaningful justification for the new plates and licenses has been given in terms of improving safety. No sensible reason has been given for the exorbitant costs.
No assurance has been given that they will not be changed again in the near future. No consideration has been made for those whose licenses will still be valid after next year. The claim that the new license has better “security features” is of absolutely no relevance.  A driving license isn’t supposed to be a security document. It’s what its name says it is – a license to drive.  It’s simply absurd that with all the death and destruction on our roads FRSC are more concerned with the design of the license rather than how it is obtained. There is nothing like an official driving test anymore. Many people who can’t drive have licenses just to use as ID.
 Rather than concern itself with the vitally important business of testing and certifying people fit to drive, FRSC concerns itself with the less important but more lucrative business of replacing valid licenses and number plates at exorbitant costs. To significantly impact on road accidents on our highways FRSC must stop the reckless driving of transport buses and taxis by timing their journeys. They must prevent overloaded lorries and under-aged trailer drivers from plying the highways. They must end aggressive driving of government vehicles. They must ensure that road contractors put up the necessary signs. They must go back to placing warning signs on potholes and failed portions. Exorbitant new number plates and licenses can never solve any of these problems or make our roads safer.  The sheer arrogance of FRSC and bunkum is exhibited by their threat to prosecute defaulters even though they are not able to supply the licenses and plates. The Corps Marshal quite evidently has become power drunk wallowing in self importance while his failure stares him in the face.
As his term of office comes to an end he should seriously ask himself what legacy he will leave behind. His own opinion of himself and his organization is really not important. As far as the public is concerned, FRSC has become a failed organization and until its functions are completely overhauled and refocused the carnage on our roads is bound to continue.