A journalist and security expert, Salihu Dantata Mahmud, has commended the Director of the Federal Capital Territory Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Mallam Abubakar Yaldu, for improving the availability and issuance of vehicle number plates in the nation’s capital.
Mahmud said Yaldu’s appointment brought fresh expectations among stakeholders, who believed his experience and administrative capacity would bring positive reforms to the directorate.
According to him, one of the major achievements recorded under Yaldu’s leadership is the dismantling of the alleged hoarding of vehicle number plates, making the products more accessible to motorists across the FCT.
He said the increased supply of number plates has significantly eased the challenges previously faced by vehicle owners seeking registration.
Mahmud, however, expressed concern over what he described as the continued connivance between some officials of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services and alleged number plate hoarders, warning that such practices could undermine the gains recorded by the agency.
He urged officers of the directorate to support the Road Traffic Administration in eliminating internal sabotage to ensure transparency in the distribution of number plates.
The former Special Assistant on Media to the Minister of Works also called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to increase funding for the directorate to enable it to effectively discharge its responsibilities.
He noted that the DRTS plays a critical role in the issuance of driver’s licences and vehicle number plates in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps, making it one of the most sensitive agencies under the FCT Administration.
Mahmud added that, as a revenue-generating agency, the directorate requires improved financial support to strengthen its operations and sustain ongoing reforms.
