Dec. 7, 2021

The Kebbi State Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday said that no less than 70 per cent of vehicles and motorcycles plying roads across Kebbi were not properly registered.

The Executive Chairman of the board, Alhaji Illyasu Arzika-Jega, said this while responding to questions from journalists in his office in Birnin Kebbi on the ongoing joint efforts to curb illegality by some motorists and cyclists on the major roads in the state.

The board and other security agencies were jointly collaborating to check the particulars of vehicles and motorcycles plying the major roads in the state.

Arzika-Jega explained that the percentage of defaulters cuts across vehicles and motorcycles plying the roads in the 21 local government areas of the state.

The executive chairman said: “BIR has been receiving a lot of messages and complaints outside the state especially from Lagos State, requesting the need for the verification of some vehicle number plates, which often were found not to be properly documented or registered.

“The default is almost 70 per cent. If you are to check thoroughly, out of 10 motorcycles or vehicles on the roads, hardly will you see three with registration numbers.

“So, that is why we consider it necessary to go out and start checking regularly so that people will not relax on the need for them to register their vehicles.

“Also, this is necessary because there are several reports coming to our office in respect of stolen vehicles which we do receive from across the nation.”

He added that the exercise would assist the board in its efforts of reducing the number of unregistered motorists and motorcyclists plying the roads across the state.

It would also assist vehicle and motorcycle owners to trace and retrieve their property in case of theft, he said.

On measures against defaulters, Arzika-Jega said that those found to have violated the sections of the law were asked to do the right thing by renewing their vehicle particulars.

He added that others whose offences were considered grievous were charged to court by the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO).

“But at our own end at the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), you will not be released until you have performed your obligation. You must renew your vehicle documents if you have not done so, or obtain your number plate if it is the issue of number plate.

“We will make sure that you do what is expected of you before your vehicle is released.

“The Board has more than enough number plates in stock amounting to millions of naira in all the 21 local government areas for any motorists who wanted to purchase,” he said.

The chairman advised the general public to properly register their vehicles to avoid being embarrassed on the roads by security agencies.

He added that such a due process would aid easy identification of stolen vehicles by their legitimate owners.

According to him, drivers and motorcyclists doing the right thing will be protecting their vehicles and motorcycles against theft.

It would also serve as a means of generating revenue for the government to execute meaningful development, he said.

Arzika-Jega said: “The exercise also seeks to enlighten the general public that government is on ground, hence the need for motorists to abide by the law.

“They must ensure that they have their vehicles’ number plates properly registered. They must also ensure that if their vehicles’ documents expire, they must get them renewed.

“I know that some documents expire after six months while others expire after a year of use.

“So, there is the need for the public to know that they are duty bound to comply with all these responsibilities to avoid any embarrassment from the law enforcement agencies,” he said. (NAN)