Lagos State Government says members of the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association, operating within the Trade Fair Complex on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, are constituting a security threat to the state.
The government explained that it adopted the view as a result of the refusal of the traders to comply with the law guiding their operations.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, said this at a stakeholders meeting on Wednesday, organised by the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency.
He said despite efforts to make the operators to regularise their business, ASPANDA members had refused to deal with the government, claiming that they operate within a Federal Government territory.
Opeifa, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Sheyi Coker, added that the position was no longer valid with the recent concessioning of the complex to private investors. He urged the traders to cooperate with the government in the overriding interest of all.
Opeifa said, “The insistence of ASPANDA that they operate outside the ambit of state government gives cause for concern.
“Lagos State Government has the primary responsibility for public safety and security within its domain. So, ASPANDA position is therefore inimical to the safety and security of the millions of law-abiding residents of the state.”
The commissioner said there was need for constant communication between auto spare parts dealers and the regulatory agency considering the large concentration of vehicles in the state.
He said the government would continue to provide a conducive environment for the dealers to do business in the state.
Permanent Secretary, MVAA, Mr. Akin Hanson, said auto and spare parts dealers were strategically positioned and could play a decisive role in crime prevention.