By THE task of rescuing Nigeria from the shackles of corruption remains a daunting one. It is difficult because Nigerians — both leaders and followers — do not seem prepared for the onerous task. There is hardly any sector of the Nigerian system that is not infested with this rot. From the political class to the religious sects, none is exempt. Even our once-revered Armed Forces, the paramilitary, and the civil service are all tainted.
I will recount two recent encounters I had with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) while attempting to obtain my driver’s licence and renew my international passport.
A close friend who had just returned from one of the African countries persuaded me to accompany him to Onireke so that we could both process our driver’s licences. Onireke is a popular area in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. This was sometime in August. Unable to reach a kinsman who serves in the corps, who could have easily assisted us, I ran into an old church member who took us to the office to begin the process.
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A female officer (whose name I will withhold) was our first point of contact. She asked us to sit and muttered, “It’s ₦28,000 for the five years you’re requesting.” This, of course, was contrary to the official fee of ₦21,000 for a five-year licence — or ₦15,000 for three years.
Within minutes, the officer, who appeared to be in her late 40s, had entered our details into the system. She then instructed us to transfer the payment directly into her personal bank account. This is the Nigeria we claim to be fighting corruption in! Where else in the world does a civil servant collect government dues into a private account? Yet this has become commonplace across the three tiers of government, in most agencies and parastatals.
The officer seemed convinced that we were pastors and therefore harmless. I quietly noted the layers of corruption unfolding before me at the Onireke FRSC office. I know you reader could say probably more than I can on your experience.
When we were done, she promised to call us when it was time for biometric capturing. We returned about 10 days later. On arrival, she directed us to another office for an eye test. The test, conducted by an FRSC official using their machine, cost ₦800 each — again, without receipts.
After pretending to test my friend’s eyes, the officer skipped mine entirely, collected his cash, declared that we had both “passed,” and sent us to the next office for capturing. Thankfully, no further payment was requested there, and the process lasted less than five minutes.
Before or after the capturing (I can’t recall precisely), we were asked to go downstairs to an office marked as the State Revenue Office to make another payment. There, an unruly, hijab-wearing lady threw caution to the wind, yelling at clients over a supposed lack of change. Ranting and raving like a lioness, she hurled insults while complaining of being overworked! Yes, she’s complaining of the same job she must have begged and lobbied in tears to get!
Though I no longer remember the exact amount we paid on that spot, our objection to her attitude forced us back to the FRSC officer who had earlier handled our transaction. She explained that the rude staff member was from the Oyo State Revenue Board and apologised on her behalf, with a promise to advise them to turn a new leaf. From us, the FRSC officer got some doses of pep talks on how we should not continue to mortgage the future of our younger generations and how little countries like Uganda are making steady progress and bailing out corruption and mediocrity by the day. She eventually handed us our temporary permits before we left the office building. According to her, whatever they were doing in the office was as instructed by her bosses. So, besides their monthly take home, all FRSC personnel on duty each day, practically, hustle to “work hard,” seek clients so as to return home with kickbacks!
Every Nigerian who braves the country’s death traps — euphemistically called roads — will agree that FRSC officers, who often mount checkpoints with policemen and soldiers, have become even worse than the “men in black” when it comes to extortion. It’s dangerous to arm those guys as they have been mooting in the past years! They’d be worse than our regular harbingers of death!
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Shamelessly, FRSC personnel now collect N500 or N200 notes from motorists while ignoring abandoned vehicles and fallen trees that endanger road users. Today’s Road Safety officers have perfected the art of extortion from gullible drivers far more than our policemen. As we say in Warri parlance: the police dey learn where the Road Safety men dey!
Unfortunately, I have family members among them. I had a nephew who’s a lawyer as one of the pioneer officers of the once revered road safety guys. He was with the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, the pioneer boss of the paramilitary outfit. The duo must be in pain today when reports of the “miracle” their boys are performing on Nigerian roads reach them.
To be continued….
Ebenezer writes from Warri , Delta State
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