Stakeholders operating at the Ikorodu government warehouse have raised an alarm stating that scrap vehicles abandoned at the terminal are putting at risk the transfer of overtime cargoes to the warehouse.
They blamed the challenge on beneficiaries of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) allocation papers also known as ‘Lot’ papers for the scrap vehicles to be evacuated.
It was reported that customs management, in a bid to decongest the Ikorodu warehouse, is selling the scrap vehicles for as low as N30,000, because some of the vehicles have no tyres, engine, gear boxes, brain boxes among others.
The acting Chairman, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Ikorodu chapter, Martins Ikechukwu, lamented that beneficiaries of the customs lot papers were frustrating evacuation of the scrap vehicles.
He stressed that even though there is enough space at Ikorodu that can accommodate transfer of over 5,000 vehicles, the scrap vehicles need to be evacuated.
He said the beneficiaries would bring the lot paper from Abuja and re-sell it for N4 million, meanwhile on paper, the lot was obtained for N30,000.
“All the people coming to inspect the cars are turning back; this means that the government is not achieving their aim with the lot allocation. Without emptying the Ikorodu terminal of scraps, there is no way new overtime cargoes can come in,” he said.
Ikechukwu called on the NCS to put an expiry date on the lot papers, so as to discourage beneficiaries from abandoning it at the terminal.
“The lot should follow the example of the online auction, which has a period of expiration. They should be given 14 days to take their vehicles out of the Terminal since the government did not design Ikorodu terminal to be a car sales center.
“I am sure the government is not aware that the beneficiaries were placing exorbitant prices on these vehicles. None of the vehicles can start on their own, they are towed with towing vehicles, they have no tyres, some have no engine or gearbox. How can you sell such a vehicle for N4.5million and we are expecting this place to be evacuated,” he asked.
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