Mixed reactions have trailed the ban on the importation of vehicles through land borders with some of the dealers calling the policy anti-people while others said it would boost national economy.
Some of the vehicle dealers in Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Kaduna States also said in separate interviews with The Tide source that the policy should be relaxed to give them time to adjust.
In Kaduna State, the Treasurer of Car Dealers Association, Aminu Ibrahim claimed that the policy had forced prices of vehicles to go up beyond the reach of Nigerians.
“Patronage has completely seized because of the hike in prices of cars resulting from the policy, and this has resulted to huge job losses.
“For example, I had to lay off seven staff from my pay role and placed four others on half salary because of the situation the new policy had put us on.
“I am telling you the jobs of over 500, 000 people employed by different car dealers across the country are threatened by the policy and I am afraid many will have to go eventually,” he said.
He called for the policy to be suspended, adding “we have already submitted a proposal to the government with our advice on the best way forward.
“ Baba Abdullahi of Dan-Kakalo Motors Kaduna, said that the policy would eventually put a lot of car dealers out of business.
“Even before the policy, car dealers were battling with the problem of exchange rates which led to slight increase processing of cars.
“The Federal Government has increased Import Duty for 2003 to 2005 models from N120,000 to N130,000 to N650,000, which further compounded the issue.
“By the time you consider the exchange rate; pay import duty and pay bill of ladden among other charges, it means no one will get a car for less than two million. This is bad for business,” Abdullahi said.
Also, Alhaji Sule Abdu of Madalla Motor Dealers, Zaria said the ban on importation of vehicle through land boarder had made prices of vehicles to shoot up.
“Nigeria is suffering from economic downturn, people don’t have money, yet the prices of vehicles have gone up, so only few individuals have the purchasing power.
“Therefore, the market is so low that to even maintain your staff is a big problem because there is no sales,” he said.
Abdu appealed to Federal Government to consider the possibility of providing soft loan to motor dealers to enable them remain in business.
Alhaji Ibrahim Mohammed, another car dealer said the policy had negatively affected the in-flow of vehicles into the country.
The Sokoto State Chairman of the Motor Dealers Association, Alhaji Muntari Mafia, urged the government to rescind the ban, as part of efforts to get Nigeria out of recession.
“This is to boost the economic growth of the country, curb poverty and reduce unemployment-induced crimes.
“Even though the federal government has its wisdom for implementing the policy, it is ill-timed, considering the economic recession, high foreign exchange rate and increasing unemployment.”
Mafia noted that the prevailing economic situation in the country had reduced the ability of Nigerians to purchase vehicles.