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Steve Agbota
Auto dealers, under the umbrella of United Berger Motor Dealers Association, have cried out to the Federal Government to fastrack the reconstruction of Apapa roads to save their business from total collapse. This was as the association debunked allegations of selling smuggled cars in their garages.
The auto dealers, who spoke with Daily Sun yesterday while reacting to the allegations that the Berger auto mart was sealed off by Nigeria Customs Service, for selling of smuggled cars, said the Apapa gridlock has completely paralysed their business with many of them unable to meet pressing family obligations.
According to the President General of the association, Metche Nnadiekwe,only the grace of God has been sustaining hundreds of Nigerians doing auto business at Berger Auto market since the Apapa gridlock has taken shine off the zone.
He lamented: “What we are seeing on this road cannot be recounted as there has been nothing like it since the creation of the country. The roads are bad while the containers and tankers are further compounding the situation. From Berger to Kirikiri, commuters spend close to four hours. I don’t know who the owners of these trucks are or whether they are owned by the government, the governors or the ministers who are untouchable because these trucks will go to the bridge and park permanently on two lanes, reserving a single lane for anybody that wants to pass. We are wondering why the Apapa bridges have become permanent park for trucks
“You will see them passing through one way. Where on earth will you see a 40ft truck laden with container passing one way? You will see some people standing in front of the trucks passing them from Mile 2 down to this place. We are not doing anything here again. No reasonable buyers want to come here and patronise Nigerians doing business in this market. This is the biggest car market in the country which is supposed to be the pride of this nation. We don’t sell cars again. We find it very difficult to make sales and it was not like this before.”
He pleaded with the government to swiftly do something on the road before hunger wipes out their families.
While reacting to allegations that the market was sealed by Customs for stocking smuggled cars, Nnadiekwe said the information was not true because nobody is selling smuggled cars at the market.
He hinted that all the dealers on the Berger auto mart know the implications of selling smuggled cars to the buyers, adding that no dealers would like to lose money to Customs.
He added: “And if one or two people are still smuggling cars, they are on their own. If we get such people, we will kick them out and hand them over to Customs before they embarrass this market. We don’t allow such people to bring us down. For a very long time, we have stopped smuggled cars coming into this auto mart.
From time to time, we go on routine checking for the vehicles in the market because anybody selling smuggled cars to customers, Customs will go on the road and seized it, then you will pay back the money to the buyer.
You will be discouraged to do such thing because you are the one losing out to Customs.
