FG extends deadline for new number plates to June 2014

The Joint Tax Board (JTB) has extended the
deadline for the registration of vehicles number
plates and drivers’ licences to June next year.
Chief Executive Officer, Federal Road Safety
Corps (FRSC), Chidoka Osita, who was
represented at the Road Transport Employers
Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) headquarters
by the Corps Transport Standardization Officer,
Oluwasusi Familoni, revealed this in Abuja
yesterday.
He said: “For the benefit of everybody here, the
Joint Tax Board has graciously approved the
extension of the deadline for procurement of
driver’s licence and number plates till June next
year.”
He explained to the association that the
responsibility of fixing the deadline is that of the
JTB, which consists of all the boards of Internal
Revenue, the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) and the corps.
Osita said that the FRSC, which is only on the
board as an observer, does not fix deadlines for
procurement of number plates and drivers’
licences.
He added that “ whatever the Joint Tax Board
says on driver’s licence, number plates is what
we carry out. Even as per the price, it is the
Joint Tax Board that fixes the price.”
RTEAN President, Alhaji Musa Isiwele Shehu,
announced that since the association is a
major stakeholder in road transport matters, it
would today write a letter to the JTB and FRSC
to be included on the JTB board.
He said: “I think I have a point to raise there.
We are supposed to be a member of that board
because the FIRS and Road Safety are not the
ones to buy the numbers, it is our members
who buy them. And it is not free, it is for sale.
“We are supposed to be there as board
members and we are now to negotiate the price
on behalf of my people. You only dish out
directives- ‘come and buy this number plate at
the rate of N30,000.’
“I know some drivers who have no N30,000 in
their accounts. Please you should take this to
the office that this is our request.”
Shehu also asked the Federal Government to
re-examine the issue of number plates.
The RTEAN boss urged the Federal Government
to withdraw the old number plates now that
there are new ones.
He explained that failure to withdraw the old
ones would culminate in two number plates for
one vehicle.
His words: “We are talking about the plate
numbers that since they have the intention of
changing, it should be a change because of the
old one we have paid for it before. They are
now bringing another one and saying pay. If
you don’t withdraw the old one, automatically,
one vehicle has two numbers.”
The association, according to Shehu, wants the
dealer numbers be restricted to the state where
the dealer is resident.
He insisted that “you can’t put dealer’s number
in a vehicle and drive from Kano to Lagos. That
dealer number has no particulars. A criminal
can commit a crime with it and remove the
dealer’s number and obtain a plate number.”
According to the RTEAN boss, the dealer
number is supposed to be meant for testing of
a vehicle before payment.