Abuja Drivers Delivery Van have called for the immediate abolishment of conflicting permits imposed on them by two departments of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).
To this end, the drivers called Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike to take immediate action by abolishing these permits.
The drivers were of the opinion that the permits have no constitutional backing and the stoppage would alleviate the financial burden on drivers.
The chairman of the association, Lawal Abdullahi while addressing a press conference on Saturday in Abuja urged the minister to investigate and bring to book those using his name to extort money illegally from Abuja drivers.
He said: “We would like to bring to the notice of FCT minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike that there are two separate and conflicting permits being sold to drivers by two departments under the FCT Administration, leading to confusion and unnecessary financial burden.
“These departments — the Department of Outdoor Advertising and Signage (DOAS) and the FCT Transportation Secretariat — have employed consultants to sell different permits.The permits are State Permit and the Haulage Permit.”
Abdullahi noted that the situation has become untenable and requires immediate intervention of Wike, adding that unsuspecting public are falling prey to these illegalities.
He added: “Recently, Abuja drivers have been forced to purchase both permits, with costs ranging from N35,000 to N50,000, depending on who is selling the paper. These two departments do not acknowledge each other’s permit as their illegal enforcement team discredit each other.
“For instance, if a driver pays for a permit from the Transportation Secretariat, DOAS always discredit such permits and refuses to accept it, and the same applies in reverse. This has left taxpayers in a dilemma, unsure of which permit is valid.
“Legal opinions have confirmed that there is no legal or constitutional basis for these payments being demanded by illegal consultants engaged by both the FCT Transportation Secretariat and DOAS.”
The chairman pointed out that the two departments are not authorised revenue collection agencies.
He said besides, the consultants collecting the fees-tagged, “Wike’s Documents” do not appear to have any legitimate ties to the FCT Administration, and yet they continue to swindle Abuja drivers of the hard earned income.
The association lamented that when taxpayers requested to make payments into a government account, the consultants insisted on collecting cash.
The association therefore called on, “Wike to take immediate action by abolishing these permit payments. They have no constitutional backing, and the stoppage would alleviate the financial stress on drivers and restore order on Abuja’s roads.
“We want the minister to investigate and bring to book those using his name to extort money illegally from Abuja drivers. lso such extortion and those behind it should be prosecuted while refund should be made to the government coffers.”
The association also appealed to the minister to swiftly address the issue of conflicting permits by ordering an immediate halt and investigate individuals responsible.