Date: 2016-12-12

The Kwara State chapter of Motor Dealers Association has called for intervention of the National Assembly over the ban on land importation of vehicles by the Federal Government.

The President Muhammadu Buhari government had in a statement signed by the Public Relations officyer of Nigeria Customs Service, Wale Adeniyi on Monday said the prohibition order covers all new and used vehicles.

The state Chairman of the association, Alhaji Suleiman Arosanyi while speaking to Pilot Business on Wednesday said the policy will stifle their business. He added that the Federal Government has failed to carry stakeholders along in its policy formulations.

The chairman said the ban is sequel to a presidential directive restricting all vehicle imports to Nigeria's sea ports only. According to him, the ban would bring about increase in smuggling and crime rate.

"Smuggling will increase because the vehicles must come into Nigeria. I believe it is an ill-conceived idea by the government because if they had wanted the ban to work, they should have provided an alternative; but without an alternative, they placed a ban. I think government should prepare on how to combat smuggling because it will increase," he asserted.

Arosanyi noted that the ban was too sudden and wondered why the Federal Government would want to encourage smuggling through its policies.

Importation of vehicles is not the problem of this country. The ban is too sudden and, before we begin to ban, we must make provision for certain things. I believe this ban will only encourage and increase smuggling whether they like it or not, because we don't manufacture vehicles here in Nigeria," he emphasised.

Similarly, the Managing Director of Dubez Motors, Alhaji Farooq Muhammed said the ban would take the country back to the years of vehicle smuggling through land borders.

He queried why the Federal Government would introduce the policy when Nigerians who purchased vehicles at the borders pay their tariff, thereby swelling the revenue profile of border commands of the service.

"This policy will take us back to the dark years when government banned the importation of vehicles through the land borders and smuggling activities increased. This policy will increase smuggling at the land borders.

"It is an unfortunate decision that will put more hardship on the people because most vehicles imported through the land borders have their duties paid and this is evident in the revenue profile of border commands of the Customs Service, but with this decision, smuggling will be high because the demand for vehicles is high in Nigeria."