By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
A road safety focussed Advocacy group, Accident Prevention and Rescue Initiative (APRI) has applauded the Hon. Minister of FCT Barr. Nyesom Wike for directing the issuance of Special Trade License to all Auto Spare Parts Dealers, mechanics and those involved in Motor Vehicle Related Trades and Services in FCT.
The Special Trade License law of FCT is mandatory for all Auto Spare Parts and Mechanics operating in FCT including those to be relocated to the Permanent site in Wassa District which should be among requirements and conditions for the traders and service operators to be allocated any space in the Mechanic village.
While commending the committee set up by the Hon. Minister in the relocation process, the group acknowledges the importance of mandatory issuance of the Special Trade License being among the FCT Road Transport Regulations enforced by the Directorate of Road Traffic Services FCT.
The regulation, according to the group will further improve safety, and security concerns in FCT, while sanitizing the trade and services from criminal activities, resulting to healthy environment.
In a statement signed by Barrister A O Abadaki, the Special legal adviser and Head of Legal affairs of the group, citing the recent relocation directives of the Hon. Minister Barr. Nyeson Wike to relocate all the Auto Spare Part Dealers and Mechanics to a dedicated land in Wassa District of FCT.
Barr. Abadaki in the statement further appealed to the Hon. Minister to ensure that those to be relocated and others in the business in FCT should be directed to obtain the mandatory Special Trade License of FCT currently enforced by the Directorate of Road Traffic Service FCT with primary objectives of ensuring effective vehicle inspection and road worthiness of vehicles that translates to safety and security of road users in FCT.
Barrister Abadaki stated that the relocation of the mechanics and spare part dealers to Wassa District is a commendable action of the Hon. Minister stressing that those to be relocated and others in FCT should be subjected to comply with existing regulatory provisions to ensure sanity in the trade, lamenting that failure to comply with the regulatory provisions will truncate the objectives with which the regulation was made in the first place.
Barr. Obadaki further advised that the Committee constituted for the relocation exercise should be conscious of this existing regulation with a view to ensuring that the revenue accruing from the Special Trade License Regulation of FCT is harnessed and generated, stressing that failure to establish proper regulatory procedure for this all important trade given the ongoing exercise of relocating the traders will give rise to carnage on our roads and huge internal revenue loss to the FCT treasury, the statement concluded.
