Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatnde Fashola (SAN) last Thursday visited the Drivers’ Licence Facility at Ojodu to complete his driver’s license process, directing all the agencies concerned to publicize this.
The Governor went through eye and written tests with the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS) and photo data capture with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at the end of which he got his temporary driver’s licence.
In an interview at the premises of the Driver’s Licence Facility after the exercise, Governor Fashola told newsmen who inquired about his experience, “The only thing now is that I was told that there is a batch of drivers’ license there that people have not come to collect. So we will, at the State level and the Federal Road Safety Commission, have to put on our thinking caps about how to create public awareness on this”.
“I am told that about 20,000 people out there are yet to collect their licences. They (Drivers Licence Facility agencies) are concerned about cost and may be they are thinking about how to publish the names on the internet or something. Perhaps it is a good time, those who have come here for biometrics may come here and do random check and they will respond to them”, the Governor said.
He described his experience during the exercise as good noting, however, that it was presumptuous to judge with his own experience since it could also be possible that he received a fast tracked treatment because of who he is.
Notwithstanding, however, the Governor said he got favourable feedback from members of the public whom he met and spoke with at the facility.
“What is important is that I asked citizens who are here and the totality of their experiences from the Vehicle Inspection Service and the FRSC indicate that things are certainly getting better. So, it only suggests to me that all of the impressions that we had initially were teething problems”, he said.
The Governor attributed the initial congestion at the place to the fact that so many people were striving to get into the restricted place at the same time. He expressed joy that “after all of the initial problems, things are turning out for the better” adding, “People now have appointments and from all that is being said, they keep their appointments and they get good services, so far so good”.
On hand to receive the Governor at the Facility were Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, Permanent Secretary, Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, Mr. Akin Hanson, Zonal Coordinator FRSC Lagos and Ogun, Mr. K.A.B. Lawal and Lagos Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr. Chidi Nkwonta and Director VIS, Engineer Hafeez Toriola among other officials.