Improved rail system’ll reduce pressure on roads

By Dickson Okafor

Prince Ajibola Adedoyin, National President, Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON) said improved rail system will reduce pressure on the nation’s roads. He commended the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for given attention to rail way, saying the sector has recorded high degree of improvement.

He urged on government to replicate similar feat in other mode of transport in Nigeria.

He speaks about the relationship between his association and the Nigerian Customs.

Excerpt:

With the commissioning of Lagos-Ibadan rail line linking Apapa ports, gridlock on Apapa-Oshodi Expressway is yet to ease, what else can government do to improve other mode of transportation

To all intent and purposes, the government has been able to put some degree of efforts in rail transportation. Moreso, with the opening of Lagos-Ibadan rail line linking Apapa port which to some extent will reduce pressure on the roads in that axix. This goes a long way to show that the present administration is truly fulfilling its campaign promises to Nigerians in terms of infrastructural development. Even at that, a lot need to be done because it is like a truck on motion considering the problem Nigerians face moving from one place to another. Also, we should bear in mind that the railway project will not be completed within the two remaining years of this administration. However, even the little one they have done there are little problems that need to be perfected before it can attain global standard. So, the truth of the matter is that we have a long way to go. Don’t forget that the rail project was started by the previous administration and it is the continuation of the project we are witnessing. Anyone telling you that within the remaining two years of this administration, they will be able to cover the entire nation, the person is telling lies. But one of the greatest achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is the continuation of projects started by the previous governments and they have completed some thereby laying a solid foundation for infrastructural development.

How to improve water transportation and reduce pressure on roads across the country

Like I said earlier, what the government ought to do especially in the riverine area is to look into how to improve water transport to ease pressure on our roads and also reduce transport challenges face by both rural and urban dwellers. For instance, places like Lagos which is witnessing congestion, what government should do to reduce gridlock along the roads leading to the two major seaports in the country is to improve water transport. No doubt, exploring this mode of transport is what is needed as a better alternative. But without taking such steps, it is looking for a more difficult solution to solve a problem. Notwithstanding, I commend the Governor of Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for commissioning some boats recently that would help move people from the mainland to Island. Meanwhile, to a large extent, this will go a long way in solving transportation problem not only in the state, but in the country.

Why members of your association are groaning over poor condition of roads and gridlock

I don’t want to believe that the gridlock on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway caused by bad road is beyond the state and Federal Governments to fix even with the failure of the E-Call up policy recently introduced by the Lagos State Government to reduce the number of trucks that park on the expressway and on the bridges. The good news is that construction work on that road is ongoing. Unfortunately, the work is on a slow pace. But I’m confidence that not too long from now the construction work on that road will be completed and commissioned.

Relationship between your association and the Nigerian Customs

So far, the relationship between AMDON and the Nigerian Customs is cordial. As a responsible organization through the recent sensitization we embarked upon in the Southwest zone, we were able to educate our members to ensure that follow due process to clear their vehicles and duties paid so that they don’t shortchange the government. Because if they shortchange the government, they are equally shortchanging themselves and this is so because whatever vehicle they bring into the country they must ensure that they pay duties to the government through the Nigerian Customs. However, that does not mean that we don’t have some bad eggs among our members. We warned the bad eggs that in trying to evade payment of duties they are caught, the association won’t come to their aid. That is why AMDON ensures that what is due to the government goes to the government in terms of revenue. The only area we disagree with the Customs and I have brought it to the knowledge of the Comptroller General of the Customs, Col. Ahmeed Ali (Rted) is on short payment. I want to highlight again that this time we won’t take it lightly. For God sake, I have not seen any of our members in the Customs desk receiving payment of duties or the desk of releasing vehicles at the ports. So, even if the agents of my members who pay correct duties on the vehicles and the vehicles were release by the Customs only for them to be stopped on the way by the same Customs that released those vehicles on the ground that the duties on the vehicles were short paid. That is absolutely wrong and it is an infringement on our rights. To the extent the customs officers usually go to the car shops of our members in the pretext they are trying to check cars whose duties are not paid and when they find out that the duties were paid they will say, we are sorry. Every releasing officer will have his or her name on that release paper. So, if there is an error or short payment, is that the fault of our members? Why did the releasing officer release vehicles whose duty is short paid in the first place? Except the Nigerian Customs is encouraging their officers to do that then that must stop. Whatever cars own by my members and that are duly released by the Customs, I don’t think any Custom officer has the right to disturb them. It is absolutely wrong and if it continues, we will approach the CG of Customs again or go to court. We are not against customs coming to our car shops to check if duties on cars are not paid, but we disagree with them on the ground that the cars are short paid. Did we release those cars? That is one aspect we have issues with the Nigerian Customs. On the issue of accident cars and E-release, every country has a number of accident cars they allow into their country.

Why can’t the Nigerian customs qualify the number of accident cars that comes into the country? For instance, if Honda 2016 accident car is to be allowed into the country, the cost to repair it should not exceed so-so and so amount when it will be cleared. Is either it is less or more let everyone know the actual amount and the person can pay online.