Delta Internal Revenue Board staff issue fake road worthiness papers, says Commissioner

Some members of staff of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue have been fingered for belonging to a racket that specializes in issuing fake certificates of road

Mr. Uduaghan, Delta State Transport Commissioner

worthiness to unsuspecting members of the public.

Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Vincent Uduaghan told an enlarged meeting of the Chairman, board members and staff of the Board of Internal Revenue in Warri that the Directorate of Transport has observed that some staffs of the board were involved in the issuance of fake certificates of road worthiness to motorists, an act that has led to a serious loss of, and dwindling of revenue that should accrue to the state government.

At the meeting that was called for proper synergy between the Directorate, the Board of internal Revenue and staff of the board in order to boost the internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state, the Commissioner said the issuance of certificate of roadworthiness is a professional duty “vested in the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) of the Directorate of Transport.” He announced that some arrests have been made in respect of the issuance of fake road worthiness certificate that are being used in the state, and that the meeting was called therefore, to articulate the way forward in curbing the unwholesome practice. Besides, the meeting was to also find a way to collaborate with the board in the collection of all vehicle related revenues.

Chairman of the Board of Internal revenue, Sir Monday Onyeme said the meeting was timely as he was already contemplating meeting with the commissioner on how to collaborate with the Directorate of Transport for effective collection of revenue regarding vehicles in the state. He expressed displeasure that some staffs of the Board were involved in issuing fake certificate of road worthiness, acknowledging that issuance of road worthiness certificate is a professional duty of the Directorate of Transport.

Sir Onyeme requested that the names of the staffs fingered in the issuance of the fake road worthiness papers be forwarded to the Board, while he sought clarification on the issue of testing form, asking: “Whose responsibility is it to issue the testing form?”

The Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Transport, Mr. Eric Ebijuwa explained that the issuance of Testing Form was part of the process of obtaining the road worthiness certificate, and that it is the responsibility of the Directorate.

On the rejection of VIOs of the Directorate posted to the Board sometime last year, to function in the issuance of number plates, Onyeme promised to look into the issue.