Inspecting vehicles with hoodlum mentality
Mr Citizen had entered his posh car, with the intension to meet up for a business meeting inside Abuja city center forgetting the hand bag where his car documents are usually kept for safety sake.
Inside the small bag are his driver license, vehicle particulars and other important documents relating to driving and the jeep he was driving on that sunny day. Unfortunately, the small bag containing vital vehicle documents was mistakenly removed by his son while washing and cleaning the car the previous night.
So, Mr Citizen never envisaged the wahala he confronted as he entered the highway from the outskirts of the city to the venue of the meeting at the Federal Capital city centre. Trouble started when his phone rang and every effort to locate his bag and pick his ear piece failed as the bag was no where to be found in the car.
So, he picked up the phone to inform the caller that he was driving. Unfortunately, as he picked the phone, from no where, behold officers of the vehicle inspection popularly known as VIO stopped his car and the leader arrogantly stood on the center of the road not even afraid if the car he was waving down, should have sudden mechanical fault.
He was very surprised to count six hefty men who claimed to be members of the VIO team clustered around his car. Three were at his front while two were beside his passenger seat, one was beside him while another was standing at the back of the car.
Meanwhile all their attention was on his car while other vehicles drove pass unmolested. All their attention were directed at him and the Jeep. “OGA, why are you driving and making phone call? As he was opening his mouth to respond to the question, with an apologetic explanation, the slim officer added, “Please, can I see you car particulars and drivers license? Like an overwhelmed student, Mr Citizen apologetically try to explain his predicament. His apologies fell on deaf ears.
Unknown to him, the VIO officer positioned behind his Jeep had screwed out his plate number. The VIO officers beside his Jeep asked the one behind if he had successfully removed the plate number and he responded positively in Yoruba.
Fortunately, Mr Citizen speaks three Nigerian languages very fluently. On sighting his vehicle plate number, he instinctively jumped out of his Jeep and went after the VIO officer with his plate number. “Why are you behaving like street hoodlums? (Agberos) (Yoruba name for hoodlums). Such situation are witnessed around the Federal Capital territory and other state capitals across the country.
These personnels of the VIO are usually found during rushing hours and closing hours of business for each day. As Vehicle Inspection Officers. They are as known as the Roads Traffic Services (DRTS)
Among their functions include VIO Nigeria if You hadtravelled by road before in Nigeria, you must have seen the VIO officers with their uniform which is White and Navy.
These days even the street hoodlums described above have also confused motorist and painfully, the respect people had for the VIO has faded away. Offices of VIO are littered with many unclaimed vehicles that were impounded including unclaimed Vehicle plate numbers.
These are some of the functions of VIO. They are responsible for ensuring that all Vehicles on the road are roadworthy that they are fit to ply the road, so as to avoid accident. They are responsible for the training of drivers, not only in the practical aspect of driving but also theoretically that is teaching the drivers all the road signs, rules and regulation of the road before insuring Driver’s license to the They are tasked with the responsibility of training and testing of riders for riders card
They organize seminars and public lectures in order to educate drivers in order to reduce and prevent road accident. Another funtion of VIO is that they inspect accident vehicles, they are the ones responsible for issuing of certificate of driving schools, they train and test applicant for Driver’s license. They also train and test applicants.
Yet, these officials who exhibit such de tasteful attitude in the course of their official duty, need to be retrained themselves. Most time, these personels have been seen pursuing motorists and such had caused accidents across the country. Indeed, there are many reckless and drunk drivers plying the networks of roads.
However, the road accidents continue to be on the increase. According to an accident statistics published on the global net by the by the Directorate for traffic and road services in Nigeria, it records that “the number of road traffic crashes in 2023 was 2,967, indicating an increase of 8.56% from the previous quarter which recorded 2,733 and a 9.60% fall from 3,282 in 2022, of all crashes, serious cases stood top in 2023 with 1919 compared to fatal and minor cases with 756 and 292 respectively.” Many Nigerians who heaved a sigh of relief when the notoriety of the Nigeria police traffic officers was curbed with the federal government introduction of a neutral agency to oversee the inspection and issuance of vehicle licences.
Unfortunately, the excitement and expectations of the people were cut short when the new inspection agency started behaving negatively to the amazement and surprise of the people. Many are of the opinion that, if the vehicle inspection officers cannot effectively execute the mandate assigned to them, then they should be dismantled and allow to function only at state level just as it is being suggested for the police to have state policing system. By Centralising security agencies helps to expose their inefficiencies than when these agencies are decentralized for optimum efficiency, then is the best performances better appreciated for the interest and upliftment and progress of each state.
Infact, by decentralising these security agencies would also enhance the supervision of the personels, against corruption and other misdemeanours recently traceable to the vehicle inspection officers and their newly introduced task force which has no constitutional backing.
