By Bassey Ubong
Do Nigerian government agencies horde information from the public for undisclosed reasons? I drove into a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) check point and stopped with the confidence I had the minimum requirements. In normal circumstances I would avoid them if I know where they are, because when the staff are desperate to book people or obtain gratification, they will demand for things within and outside the Highway Code, which motorists have no knowledge of.
After reviewing my documents one of the officers went round to check the tyres. I recalled the day before I worked on a tyre which had a problem, but I forgot to put it back. To him, the spare I used had expired, but I had no idea. The FRSC staff refused to check the new tyre and strolled in victory to their car to write a ticket.
I knew about expired tyres in November 2022 courtesy of a WhatsApp video clip shot somewhere in Asia. No public information has come from the FRSC on details on how ordinary citizens of Nigeria can determine the age of tyres. It typifies Nigerian public agencies which delight in the legal principle of ignorance of the law is no excuse.
I recall the days of Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State who ran a mini force known as Timarif. If a foreign or local investor or tourist drove into Port Harcourt and attempted to find his/her way to their destination, but the person ran into an unmarked one-way it used to be a nightmare. The person would be escorted by Timariv personnel and Police to the Psychiatric Hospital, forced into a bed, and after two days made to pay N250,000 to secure freedom. Such investor or tourist should be expected to return to Port Harcourt because no other city had facilities for the type of business.
How many Nigerian cities, including Abuja, have public toilets where persons under nature’s call can ease themselves? How many Nigerian cities have paid parking lots for motorists? Rather local and state governments maintain corps of touts to terrorise citizens who have no idea of peculiar rules of specific cities.
Two years ago, I ran into a Police checkpoint at Nung Udoe in Akwa Ibom State. The constable on duty drew my attention to my vehicle documents which had expired a month before. He told me to renew them because if he apprehended me a second time he would take appropriate action. If it were FRSC, there would be no second chance. The FRSC staff who gave me a ticket had the discretion to tell me to change the expired tyre for the new one because a man who vulcanizes tyres has a stand where the team parks on Oron Road. The FRSC staff’s interest had to do with the ticket rather than correction. In fact, he made no attempt to show me how to determine the age of tyres. He went to another motorist to search for a reason to issue another ticket.
I have found, to my pleasant surprise, a more information-friendly Nigeria Police than all other agencies of government in recent times.
About five years ago, I participated in a forum organised by the Federal Ministry of Education to brief Chief Executive Officers of institutions of higher learning on expectations of the Bureau for Public Procurement with respect to award of contracts. The follow up questions showed general ignorance by the officers, which had led to several infractions.
I attended sessions by the Federal Character Commission (FCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC). Other so-called anti-graft and regulatory agencies keep their policies and expectations under wraps for reasons they alone can explain. Given my wide experience, I came to a sad conclusion – some public officers and agencies benefit when Nigerians commit infractions out of ignorance.
Permit me to summarise what I read from the internet on tyres after the encounter with FRSC. Many tyres available in the market in Nigeria and several countries use the American system. Several letters, numbers, and designs are on each tyre. The string of numbers commence with DOT, an acronym for Department of Transport. The relevant numbers for ordinary tyre users like me are the last four among the several numbers after DOT.
The first two of the four numbers indicate the week of manufacture, while the last two indicate the year of manufacture. I bought four tyres in 2022 and when I checked the last four numbers they read 2121, which means the tyres were manufactured in the 21st week of 2021.
For those who want to buy new tyres, they should go for the ones manufactured in the last quarter of 2022. Reason? The acceptable lifespan of a tyre should be 5 to 6 years with normal usage. My four tyres should expire by 2025, except I meet FRSC staff who will tell me the agency accepts five years rather than six years. They tell no one their standards for their reason.
The video I mentioned above gave another information: “External” should be seen outside, while “Internal” should face the wheel. How many persons who vulcanize tyres know this? Can FRSC organise workshops all over the country for our people who vulcanize tyres? Such workshops would guide them on how to determine the age of tyres, the correct air pressure on tyres, and how to fix tyres in a manner they would remain attached to the wheel drums, while the owner has been busy with the madness on our roads made worse by sirens used by all sorts of people, including motor cyclists!
Another issue sticks out like a sore thumb with regard to tyres. Nigerians import millions of used (in fact retreaded or abandoned tyres) which innocent citizens buy and believe they are new. Who checks and clears the tyres at the ports? Do FRSC staff participate in the exercise? I bought a “Belgium” tyre in 2020 at Uyo, travelled to Port Harcourt with it, but by evening of the same day at Uyo the tyre gave way. At the point, I had no idea the tires expire.
Expired motor parts can become a bigger problem than FRSC and their games. An expired fire extinguisher means the possibility of total loss of a car to fire. For those who intend to buy fire extinguishers, they should check the expiry date. In 2022, I bought a fire extinguisher expected to expire in 2030! Why would anyone buy a product expected to expire in one year when there are alternatives with longer life?
Let me conclude with a suggestion. For the good of the car owner or driver, every car should have critical items such as fan belt, fire extinguisher, water in a container, spare tyre in good condition, serviceable or good jack, spanners, razor blade, torch light, and First Aid kit. These are listed by FRSC as minimum requirements. But they are expected to save the car, the owner, and those who happen to be in the car. No team has checked me for first aid kit, which I have, but it can be useful in an emergency.
One wishes government agencies give information on their expectations, rather than harass uninformed people. Thank God for the judiciary in Akwa Ibom State, which saved motorists from the paws of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO). Those ones were merciless touts ready to damage cars if the situation arose.
But one may ask, why do several agencies handle the same assignments? Once upon a time on one stretch of road, regular Police, FRSC, VIO, and some brown-clad Local Government “Enforcement” personnel checked vehicle documents. You can drive all day at Accra, yet no one stops to check any document. I guess Ghanaians are more law abiding than Nigerians. Or Nigerians know if a problem arises they can buy their way through and ignore rules.
Ignorance may be no excuse in law, but an informed motorist may run into a Road Safety vehicle if an expired tyre gives way. Timely information can save the lives of the ignorant and he/she who hoards information.
Dr Ubong, an educational administrator, writer and literary critic, lives in Uyo.
