Car dealers seek use of technology in fighting crime

From Ahmed Mohammed Bauchi

The Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria, AMDON, has called on the federal government to introduce the use of technology to mount surveillance in the country’s porous borders to curtail smuggling activities and crimes.
The National Secretary of the AMDON, Alhaji Sulieman Ibrahim, disclosed this to journalists in Bauchi yesterday, after the association’s north east and north central joint meeting at Zaranda Hotel Bauchi.
He said, ” Everybody see us as the only importers of cars into this country but in the real sense many individuals who have the means and can affords it are also importing cars into the country and the law does not stop it.
“If cars are imported into the country only through registered car dealers, then government would be able to know who are the criminals.”
He said, “the meeting in Bauchi was fruitful, and one of the issues resolved was to appeal to the federal government to introduce modern technology to man the country’s borders as obtainable all over the world.
“The federal government has told us their reasons for the partial closure of the land borders and we understand that security is the one main issue.
“But what we are saying is that what is obtainable in the international community is that surveillance is now technology and not analogue.”
He said that over 136 marts have been sealed by the Nigerian Customs Service across the country.
Sulieman stated that the association was appealing to the federal government to reopen the car marts sealed across the country as the car dealers “are law abiding citizens that are willing to pay their duties.
He however, said that another resolution adopted at the joint meeting in Bauchi was for the need by the government to reduce the current high cost of duties on car importation from 70 per cent to 10 per cent.
Alhaji Kabiru Saidu, AMDON Chairman in Bauchi State, disclosed that members in Bauchi operates with the Nigerian Customs and Excise in the state saying no car mart was sealed in the state.
Saidu however, appealed that the duties on importation of cars be reviewed downward because it was making it extremely difficult for the average citizens to purchase a car.