The Digital Inspection of Vehicles being proposed by some state governments has been described as nothing but a big scam and afterthought decision.
A Niger Delta Activist, Comrade Milky Nwafor, who made this statement in a telephone interview, noted that before this present proposal, the statutory duty of inspecting vehicles by the vehicle inspection officers is being done perfectly.
He lamented the introduction of the digital inspection of vehicles which he said has commenced in Lagos, Rivers, Anambra and other states, where the operation is an abysmal failure, adding that those states that promised to have about ten digital units, ended up having one or two units without digital machines.
Speaking further, he said, “What the people need at this stage of our developing process is the construction of new roads and rehabilitation of bad ones. For now, our Vehicle Inspection Officers ( VIO’s) are doing well with their virtual inspection method.
“The movement into digital inspection should be gradual. The apostle of digital inspection should make sure they have built and equipped all the required centres and test run these centres before introducing it to members of the public. Anything short of this will be viewed in a bad light.
He alleged that such units established are not functional but they issue certificates of roadworthiness without inspecting the vehicle, only to take money from applicants and give a referral note, when you cannot even find the digital machines.
He said, “Establishing digital machines for inspection is not the problem we have in this country, it is the bad road as you cannot drive through bad roads to Lagos and return back and you will not find faults if it is inspected.
He described the exercise as an avenue to extort poor citizens of the country, blaming the state government who may not be aware whether the machines are functional for daily inspection, pointing out that Delta state government should be at alert since hers is kicking off by January 2021, so that it doesn’t look as scam and avenue to extort the masses.
