Motor Dealers Para For Customs Office Say Dem Don Taya For Extortion

Car dealers wey dey under Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria (AMDON), South-West Zone, come out for protest on Monday for Akure, Ondo State. Dem accuse Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) people say dem dey harass dem, collect money by force, and even seize dia motor anyhow. Di protesters, wey gather for di head office of di Ondo/Ekiti Customs Command, carry placards wey get writings like “We dey pay duty, make una stop di harassment,” “Customs, make una respect di law, no be to dey extort,” and “Make una release our motor. Dem talk say even though dem don clear dia motors for Lagos ports, customs officers still dey stop dem for road, dey check dia cars again anyhow and dey ask for extra money wey no be official. As e dey talk during di protest, Alhaji Ibrahim Adeniyi, National Vice President of AMDON, talk say di protest don tey wey e suppose happen, and e talk say customs officers don dey always take advantage of members even though dem dey follow import rules. We come here because of how dem dey disgrace us. Dem go stop us for road, seize our motors, and give us new bills even after we don clear dem for port.Dem dey collect money for port, and still collect another one for road. Dis one na pure exploitation, and na why we full ground here to fight for our rights,” Adeniyi talk.

E explain say di dealers wey come from different parts of South-West, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, and Ogun States, don decide to talk against wetin dem call unfair way wey customs dey do. But Adeniyi still praise di State Comptroller of Customs, Mrs Queen Obazee, for meeting with di protesters and promise say she go check dia complaints. According to am, Obazee talk say no order wey allow that kind harassment come from her office. Meanwhile, NCS, for one statement wey di Command Public Relations Officer, Mr Aondoakura Dzungwenen, sign, talk say dem still stand gidigba for professionalism and transparency. Di statement talk partly say: “As e take concern accountability, di command don talk with representatives of di Auto Dealers Association about di matter. “For di meeting, dem give assurance say dem don dey put measures in place to make operations smooth and stop any wahala for future wey people fit see as unprofessional behavior. Members of di association still beg di service. NCS still talk say dem don approve extra training for officers, wey go cover how to do operations, enforcement, how to relate with stakeholders, and how to protect di image of di service, to make compliance strong and make public trust better. Di statement beg stakeholders make dem use di correct channels to report any complaint, and make dem no rush judge based on talk wey never sure, as e still talk say di Service still dey committed to do wetin di law say make dem do with fairness, integrity, and respect for di rule of law.