Some Nigerians have kicked against the introduction of the biometric vehicle registration by the police.
Protests swept the social media after the police authorities said they would replace their analogue vehicle registration process with a digital Biometric Central Motor Registration system.
The police had hinged their decision on the need to effectively fight crime and terrorism in the country. Almost immediately, the police started a massive sensitisation campaign on various social media platforms, especially on Facebook and Twitter, while a website, www.policebcmr.org, has been created for the purpose of the exercise.
Although the police said the data captured would be used for the protection of Nigerian citizens and to maintain peace and order, many vehicle owners argued that the initiative amounted to duplication of the vehicle registration process.
Even after declaring on their Facebook page that the registration fee of N3, 500 for vehicles and N1, 500 for tricycles and motorcycles will be paid only once, many Nigerians said they were being forced to bear an unnecessary burden.
They pointed out that it made no sense to bear the burden of a fresh vehicle registration exercise, whereas the data required from them had been captured in the ongoing renewal of driving licences and vehicle number plates by the Federal Road Safety Corps.
Unable to figure out why the police would do such a thing, they described it as a misplacement of priority.
Tony Umaru, who visited the Facebook page of the BCMR exercise, warned that failure on the part of the Federal Government and the National Assembly to restrain the police from continuing with the exercise, other agencies connected with security and safety would buy the idea and commence extortion of members of the public.
Umaru noted that, as the primary agency responsible for internal security, the police should have conducted the registration exercise free of charge, if there was a genuine need to duplicate it.
He said, “This is absolute nonsense. Very soon the Fire Brigade will launch digital fire extinguishers that will come with a bio-metric chip to capture our data. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps may also decide to create its own data base. The same thing may apply to the Nigeria Customs Service and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
“Assuming all the processes are free of charge, is the time free? Why can’t all of them go to a central data base and retrieve whatever information they want? If it is not N30,000 for number plate, it will be N3,500 for police bio-metric registration. There is another N2,000 for VIO e-coding. Whereas we still have water, waste and electricity bills to foot. How much do I collect as salary? If I am paying government all this money, what is the government giving me in return?”
Abdulmumin Yinka-Ajia commented on the Facebook page of the Police, saying that it was shameful for the government agencies to jettison inter-agency cooperation and synergy because they want to generate revenue.
“It is quite shameful! How much intelligence does it take to know that this wonderful initiative could be accomplished by working with the FRSC? You guys have to burden ordinary Nigerians with this scam by a greedy consultant. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves, from the top to the bottom.
“Where is the synergy in government? Why must the National Identity Management Commission capture bio-data, the Nigerian Immigration office, Independent National Electoral Commission, FRSC repeat the same process? Now it is the turn of the police.
Another Facebook user with the name Arise Nigeria said, “Why can’t there be a one stop portal where this information can be assessed by any agency in need of them. Inefficiency of our system is obvious! If they are having problems, the FRSC should rather be collapsed into the police and the data transfer will then be automatic!” he said.
Another Facebook user, Tunji Orokunle, said the police were only adding to the hardship faced by many Nigerians as a result of the development.
He said, “We have already registered with the FRSC. What is the need for duplication of processes? Why not liaise with the FRSC to obtain drivers’ details for the same purpose? More importantly, why should I have to pay to register my vehicle? Is this not another money-making venture for the notoriously corrupt Police Force? If the police cannot find a solution to the hunger of the poverty stricken Nigerians, why be part of the problem?”
One Aishat Odeh says she is convinced that the idea behind the initiative is for the purpose of generating revenue. “The police are just being jealous of the FRSC and Vehicle Inspection Office in the states due to the fact that they are making money from it. They now decide to introduce their own scheme to extort money from the people,” she said.
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