The International Traffic Awareness Initiative has strongly criticised a special report in a national daily on how Abuja Vehicle Inspection officers (VIO) and driving schools compromise standards.
The group’s publicity director, Musa Abdullahi, in a statement expressed concern over what he deemed “unprofessionalism and misinformation” in the report.
Abdullahi’s primary grievance centers around the report’s linking of the VIO with driving schools.
He argued that all driving schools are duly certified, registered and supervised by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), not the VIO.
This, he claimed, affects the report’s credibility as it fails to acknowledge the correct regulatory authority.
According to Abdullahi’s assertion, the management of the driving school records system falls under the purview of the FRSC, and their intelligence reports indicate that the VIO has faced challenges in accessing this data, hampering their driver’s license-related activities.
Abdullahi acknowledged that every organisation may have its “bad eggs” but argued that such isolated incidents shouldn’t tarnish the entire institution.
He said under the leadership of Abdul Lateef Bello, the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) had initiated extensive sensitisation campaigns to educate the public about the driver’s license acquisition process.
He said, the head of the relevant section, Akeem Yusuf has also been working diligently to protect the public from irregularities and corrupt practices.
He further explained that the DRTS administration has established a unit to jointly supervise driving schools, recognizing the shared role between the VIO and the FRSC.
Additionally, he noted that the VIO plays a crucial role in the issuance of driver’s licenses, as their chief’s signature is affixed to every license.