VEHICLES BOUGHT FROM UNAUTHORIZED DEALERS WON'T BE REGISTERED IN LAGOS

The Lagos State Government on Thursday said that vehicles brought into the state through illegal routes and those bought from individuals would henceforth not be registered in the state. The government said that a tripartite arrangement in the state only allowed individuals to sell their vehicles to members of the public through registered motor vehicle dealers. It added that any vehicle sold outside this arrangement would not be issued the change of ownership title at the Motor Licensing Offices.

The Permanent Secretary of Motor Vehicle Administration Agency Mr. Akin Hanson, who made the government position known to journalists, said only vehicles bought from registered auto dealers would henceforth be attended to. “Unregistered individuals willing to sell either registered or fairly used imported vehicle to go through registered dealers as direct sales transaction is unlawful in the state,” he said.

Mr Hanson also expressed dismay over what he called ‘indiscriminate’ display of vehicles for sale in the state, adding that the agency would soon begin a crackdown on defaulters. The Permanent Secretary said that the way individuals and auto dealers displayed vehicles for sale at unregistered premises was becoming worrisome. He observed that the act negated the law regulating the activities of motor vehicle and spare parts dealers in the state.

Mr Hanson pointed accusing fingers at fuel stations and eateries, which he accused of allowing such display in their premises, describing them as chief culprits. He said, “There are some individual who display vehicles on the roadsides illegally. This attitude constitutes a nuisance to the environment, impedes the movement of pedestrians and free flow of the traffic.

“Before we act, we will embark on a campaign to enlighten the dealers on the law regulating sales of motor vehicle and spare parts in the state, which we have been discussing at our regular stakeholders’ meetings. It would be a sheer pretence for any auto or spare part dealer to feign ignorance of the law regulating the business.”

The Permanent Secretary warned the auto dealers not to take the ‘humane’ approach of the government in enforcing the law regulating auto business for granted and warned that the government had the capacity to enforce the law to the letter. He said that the agency would soon publish names of defaulting dealers in the national dailies and then go ahead to prosecute them.