BY Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin
The Zonal Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Zone 5, Charles Akpabio, has accused officials of the agency of involvement in the issuance of fake drivers’ licenses.
Akpabio, who made the accusation during the decoration of six newly promoted officers at the command’s headquarter in Benin on Thursday, warned officials of the Corps to desist from involvement in drivers’ license racketeering or be ready to face severe sanction.
Zone RS5 of the FRSC comprises of Edo, Delta and Anambra states.
Akpabio described the increasing incidence of issuance of fake drivers’ license as worrisome, adding that his office was aware of the involvement of FRSC officers in the racket. “I am using this medium to sound a note of warning to marshals and officers to desist from this act as it is criminal and an act of sabotage. The command will not hesitate to sanction any officer or marshal caught in the act,” he said. The zonal commander said that to ease the process of issuance of new licenses, the agency was opening five more processing centres soon to complement the existing ones.
Akpabio observed that some motorists who have fallen into the hands of fake license racketeers have blamed the limited number of centres for the trend. “So, to avoid and cut off these activities of quacks, we advise motorists to go to these centres and insist on doing the right thing to get genuine driver’s license and not through a third party who swindle them of their money and issue them fake documents. You have to be captured for your details to be in our data to be issued a genuine driver’s license,” he said. The commander used the occasion to congratulate the newly promoted officers and urged them to be more dedicated to their duties especially, this yuletide season, when more road mishaps are recorded.. The promoted officers include Roland Onamusi, Felix Afoke, Udeme Eshiet and Samon Eniyemo who all moved from Assistant Corps Commandant to Deputy Corps commandant. Godwin Ogbemi was promoted from the rank of Senior Route Commander to Superintendent Route commander while Akpojotor Eric moved from Deputy Route commander to Route Commander..