Information recently made available to 247ureports.com
through principal sources within the Federal Road Safety Corps [FRSC] reveal
that the new improved security features imbedded in the new driver’s license of
the federal republic of Nigeria has been approved for acceptance by the State of
Maryland in the United States of America [USA] as a valid driver’s license in
the state of Maryland. This information was confirmed by the department of motor
vehicles in the State of Maryland following a comprehensive inspection and
evaluation of the new security features imported into the new driver’s license
being launched by the FRSC.
Already, the new driver’ license has been accepted by other European
countries including Australia. Another North American country, Canada is said to
be conducting an independent evaluation of the licensing process and the new
security features to determine whether to begin accepting the new license as a
valid driver’s license in their country.
The new driver’s license, as gathered, was launched to streamline the
pervading duplicity in identity and the ongoing fraud within the issuing
agencies. Presently, the FRSC created a single data base to house the bio-data
of all holders of the driver’s license in a manner to enable complete background
checks on would-be drivers or applicants for driver’s license. The data base
houses the biometrics including advance methods of collecting and storing
fingerprints, passport snap shots, verifiable address and next of kin contact
information [phone number]. This information are captured by the new system and
scans the entire database of driver’s license to find matches for existing
duplicates in the database system. When matching duplicates are found – an alarm
is raised. The search for duplicates normally takes less than a minute to a
minute to complete.
Impressively, the process for applying for driver’s license [DL] has been
overturned to ensure the integrity of the DL. Previously, DL’s are issues ate
the various FRSC zones in the country. There are 12 FRSC zones in Nigeria. The
new process requires for the entire DL to be issued [printed] at one source –
that is the headquarters in Abuja. The application for DL now starts with a
visit to the website [www.NigeriaDriversLicence.org] where the applicant will be
asked to fill out the appropriate form [renewal/new/re-issue]- and then chose
the closest FRSC office to pick up his/her license. From the website, a print
out is generated which the applicant will take to the nearest FRSC office of
his/her choice. At the FRSC office, fingerprints and other pertinent bio-data
are captured electronically and transmitted instantly to the head office in
Abuja. The local FRSC then issues a temporary driver’s license which has a
validity period of 60days. A fee of N6,000 is paid directly to the Joint Tax
Board via electronic means.
The headquarter office in Abuja will instantaneously input the captured data
into the main database to scan for duplicates of fingerprints or photographs.
When there appears a duplicate, the application is rejected. When there appear
no duplicates, the application process is continued to the next level. The
license is then printed and delivered to the local FRSC office.
In addition to the streamlined process, the new security features of the
license appear to have improved considerably. New features imbedded into the new
license make duplication of the license virtually impossible. This is particular
to the quality of the material used for the new license. The barcodes at the
back of the license are said to be scan-able by the field FRSC operatives while
at the various checkpoints along the streets and roads throughout the country.
And as gathered, the barcodes contain the bio-data of the holder of the
license.
The Chief Executive of the FRSC, Osita Chidoka, is said to have been the
brainchild behind the restructuring of the Nigeria Driver’s License program
through the improved security features. It is believed the new process will
provide a new realistic baseline for the start of a true identification process
in Nigeria – for the various security outfits in Nigeria.
247ureports.com also gathered that the Chief Executive of the FRSC will be
gradually introducing the point-system for repeat offenders of laws against road
safety. With the new driver’s license, it will be possible to accurately record
and score each offender in the database with each offense – and when a limit is
reached, the offender’s driver’s license is either suspended or revoked.
It was also gathered that the majority of the DL holders are presently not
captured in the main database of the FRSC due to the manner the process had been
abused by the various FRSC zones. “Most of the licenses on the streets are
mere plastic cards” said a top ranking officer of the FRSC who went to say
that “as time goes on, the drivers will need to renew their licenses and we
will automatically capture their bio data”.
Most importantly, the new process will enable checkmate the prevalence of
insecurity in the country.
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