The transfer of overtime cargoes to the government storage in Ikorodu is in danger, say stakeholders working there, because of abandoned scrap cars at the terminal.
They attributed the difficulty to those who received allocation papers from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), commonly known as “Lot” documents, for the scrap vehicles that were supposed to be evacuated.
The Guardian has learned that the customs management is selling the trash cars for as little as N30,000 in an effort to clear up the Ikorodu warehouse, despite the fact that some of the cars lack tyres, engines, gearboxes, brain boxes, and other essential components.
Martins Ikechukwu, the interim chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), claimed that recipients of the customs lot documents were impeding the removal of the scrap cars.
He emphasized that even if Ikorodu has appropriate room for the transfer of more than 5,000 automobiles, the scrap cars still need to be removed.
He claimed that the beneficiaries would purchase the lot on paper for N30,000 and then resell it for N4 million to another party in Abuja.
“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 requested that the NCS include an expiration date to the lot papers in order to deter recipients from leaving them 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 centre.”
“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.
