By: Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
In an effort to check insecurity challenge in Cross River state, the state government has commenced the process of issuing security numbers (security codes) to operators of the transportation sector in order to guarantee safety in the state.
The state government stated that relaunching of the security numbers would ensure an effective monitoring of operators in the sector with a view to tackle any form of insecurity in the state.
Through the security numbers, the ministry of transportation will monitor vehicles entering and exiting the state, and possibly track those using their vehicles to aide kidnapping and other related crimes in the state.
In an interactive session with operators of the sector including representatives of bus drivers, tricycle operators and truck drivers yesterday in Calabar, the state transportation Commissioner, Pastor Ekpeyong Cobham, sued for cooperation among the transporters to ensure sanity, safety and peace in the sector.
The commissioner stated that the ministry has extended the registration of vehicles by vehicle owners up to March 31, 2024 in order for them to complete registration and thereafter obtain their security numbers.
He expressed optimism that the two (2) weeks opportunity given to operators to effect the registration formalities were enough for compliance, adding that defaulters would be sanctioned thereafter.
Cobham said, “There are requisite fines against defaulters known to had disobey government directives or criminally forged coding number would be handed over to the law enforcement agents.
“As the head of the ministry, I am conscious of the fact that we are at the very critical period to reform the sector in line with His Excellency’s mantra of people’s friendly policies”.
The commissioner declared that through the vehicles registration, the ministry would be able to code the vehicles and generate the required data to assist her to regulate the entire transportation sub-sector.
“We had an instance where someone used a tricycle for robbery and It was impossible to track down the criminal because he had a fake security number on his tricycle.
“We have to holistically commence the process of thinking outside the box on how to restore this critical function of the ministry.
“Initial phase is to reconcile the existing numbers to determine those which are fake and those that are authentic.
“When a particular number is picked and keyed to our website it will give you true identity of vehicle owner”, the commissioner added.
