Sabotaging Oyo IGR base

I want to intimate Governor Seyi Makinde about how some members of staff at various licensing offices across Oyo State have continued to contribute to Lagos State Internally Generated Revenue at the expense of the Oyo State Internally Generated Revenue.

Some days ago, I was at the licensing office situated at the state secretariat in a request for a vehicle number plate, and I was asked if I wanted Lagos or Oyo? She pressed further by explaining why Lagos State is better on vehicles, especially when it is a private vehicle and not commercial.

To my surprise, while I was transacting with her, three men came into the office for the same request and two of these men willingly requested for Lagos number plates. The third man who initially demanded for Oyo was eventually convinced on the note that people generally, including law enforcement officers (Police, FRSC and VIO), respect Lagos and Abuja number plates.

I left the office and some questions began to run in my mind: Why would Oyo State licensing officer convince one to register for Lagos number plate? Doesn’t she know this will, directly or indirectly, add to Lagos IGR at the expense of Oyo IGR? Do people (including enforcement officers) truly respect Lagos or Abuja number plates?

I decided to conduct an observation survey about the subject matter. I strolled around the premises of the secretariat and I found that more than 70 per cent of the private vehicles (available in the premises as at the time of my observation) were Lagos-registered. This means that majority of government workers, including top officials, have their private vehicles Lagos-plated.

Government should, as a matter of urgency, strictly stop registration of other states’ number plates at our licensing offices across the state. Let anyone who wants Lagos State number plates go to Lagos. This may in turn increase our IGR as some people may find it too stressful to travel to Lagos for mere number plate registration.

Let there be more sensitization, particularly at licensing offices, that number plate is number plate, whether Lagos, Oyo or Abuja. The only way you can avoid embarrassment from enforcement agencies and also boast of being a good citizen is to validate your papers up to date.

Potential car owners should bear it in mind that completeness of vehicle particulars is the key and nothing else.

Ijoba Authority Moe

[email protected]

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