*slashes price of number plates
By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Following hues and cries that greeted the commencement of the activities by a task force on the enforcement of renewal of vehicles registration documents by vehicle owners whose particulars have expired or never had any, the Governor of the state, Abubakar Sani Bello has directed immediate suspension of the activities of the taskforce to stem further complaints and bad press.
The state Ministry of Transportation had drafted security agencies including operatives of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, road marshal of the Federal Roads Safety Corps, Vehicle Inspection Officers to the roads in the state capital enforcing the new order.
Our correspondent learnt that the exercise was revenue driven motivated being brought up by the state board for internal revenue to jerk up it’s internal revenue haul.
But just two days into the enforcement, public outcries against the brashful and uncouth men of the task force had reached unbearable point climaxed by an attack launched by the task force team on the premises of the state’s newspaper publishing company, the Newsline Newspaper.
Several hundreds of vehicles were impounded for default and for not regularising their vehicle particulars.
But like a bolt from the blues and the rumours mills was agog with the news that the state government was going to auction the vehicles impounded.
As the complaints and bad news increased, governor Sani Bello at the weekend directed the immediate stoppage of the activities of the task force. He also directed the release of all impounded motorcycles to the owners on presentation of valid prove of ownership.
Further to this directive, governor Sani Bello has also approved an extension of the grace period of one month during which time defaulting vehicle owners are expected to regularise their vehicle particulars. The grace period is for one month. It is to end on the 1st April, 2018 after which the task force would resume work.
Similarly, the governor has within the grace period, approved reduction in the purchase of number plates of motor-cycles from N6,200 to N3,500.
However, the governor has warned all defaulters to take advantage of the grace period to renew their vehicle particulars.
A statement from the spokesman for governor Sani Bello said the state government had no intention to sell off the impounded motorcycles as was being insinuated by spin doctors and mischief makers.
It said the actions taken by the governor were geared towards the safety and security of citizens of the state.
