The Lagos State Government says it will soon embark on massive enforcement against unregistered auto and spare parts dealers in the state as well as dealers who displayed their vehicles for sales on walkways, bus stops and others.
The government said the integrated enforcement exercise, which would be coordinated by the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency, MVAA, would involve the State Task Force on Abandoned Vehicles, the Nigeria Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, LASTMA and the Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS).
“Vehicles displayed in unauthorized places will be impounded during the exercise while dealers with expired licences may have their premises sealed,” said Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa at the stakeholders’ meeting with vehicle and auto-spare parts dealers held at Ojodu area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria on Thursday.
Opeifa said over the years, the state government, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies as well as registered dealership operators had adopted a number of strategies and measures to encourage compliance with the provisions of the extant law by individuals and companies engaged in the relevant businesses.
“While the government has always preferred persuasion and enlightenment in its efforts to elicit wide-scale voluntary compliance with the law and thereby achieve a safer auto and spare parts dealership environment in the state, unrelenting resistance from illegal operators as well as their proliferation has made periodic application of force necessary.
“The resort to force in ridding the state of illegal roadside operators, companies and groups that have refused to comply with the provisions of the extant law has become even more imperative in view of the enormous security challenges currently confronting the nation.
“People or organizations who engage in illegal display and sale of vehicles in unauthorized places pose a real and grave threat to the security of the general public, since such vehicles are potential ready tools for terrorists and other criminal elements,” said Opeifa, whose speech was read by the Permanent Secretary, MVAA, Akin Hanson.
He noted that while compliance with the law through due registration of their businesses was desirable, it was not a licence for illegal display of vehicles on road setbacks and other unauthorized places by registered dealers, saying such places included sidewalks, eateries, fuel stations, bus stops and mechanic workshops.
“As part of your efforts towards helping the government to rid your industry of illegal operators, you are hereby enjoined to provide information on locations and addresses of illegal operators to the MVAA in order to complement the agency’s monitoring and enforcement activities,” he told the auto and spare parts dealers.
Earlier, Permanent Secretary, MVAA, Hanson, whose speech was read by the Director, Finance and Administration, MVAA, Mrs Olubukola Omolaja said the MVAA would deploy all available resources and strategies in ensuring that dealers comply fully with the provisions of the law regulating their business.
