Delivery Van drivers in Abuja have sent a Save-our-Souls message to the Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike over what they described as the unscrupulous activities of some FCT officials issuing conflicting permits, dubbed “Wike’s Documents” and collecting double charges.

At a news conference weekend in Abuja, Chairman, FCT Chairman of Delivery Van drivers, Comrade Lawal Abdullahi, said there are two separate and conflicting permits being sold to drivers by two departments under the FCT Administration.

He said the two permits which have different approving authorities have become a source of confusion among drivers and also exert a financial burden on them.

“These departments – the Department of Outdoor Advertising and Signage DOAS and the FCT Transportation Secretariat – have each employed consultants to sell different permits: called the State Permit and the Haulage Permit. A copy of the purported permits issued by the two consultants is attached to this document for your perusal.

“This situation has become untenable and requires the immediate intervention of the Honourable Minister because unsuspecting members of the public are falling prey to these illegalities.

“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. Better still, these two departments do not acknowledge each other’s permits as their illegal enforcement team discredit each other. For instance, if a driver pays for a permit from the Transportation Secretariat, DOAS always discredits such permits and refuses to accept them, 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. These bodies are not authorized revenue collection agencies.

“Furthermore, the consultants collecting the fees-tagged ‘Wike’s Documents’ do not appear to have any legitimate ties to the FCT Administration, yet they continue to swindle Abuja drivers of their hard-earned income.

“To add to the frustration, when taxpayers request to make payments into a government account, the consultants insist on collecting cash, thereby fueling suspicions on actual destination of the money.

“The near forceful collection of the money (payment) from drivers has caused severe financial strains on our drivers, many of whom are already struggling with the current economic situation.

 “We are calling on the Honourable Minister of the FCT, Barrister Nyesom 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 roads.

“We want the honourable minister to investigate and bring to book those using his name to extort money illegally from Abuja drivers.

“Also such extortion and those behind it should be prosecuted while refunds should be made to the government coffers.

“We recommend that the relevant departments engage with transport unions and key stakeholders to better understand their challenges and work together to find fair and practical solutions.

“Public Awareness Campaign is essential to educate drivers about their rights and responsibilities to help prevent them from falling victims to illegal payments and exploitation by unscrupulous officials,” the drivers demanded. (Vanguard)