Dealers of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria’s vehicles have accused the Federal Government of crippling the auto plant by purchasing foreign-made vehicles instead of those made by the company, which was established in 1972 by the General Yakubu Gowon administration.
The Chairman, Peugeot Dealers’ Association, Chief Onyebuchi Nnamani, at the inauguration of the Peugeot 301 assembled by the PAN at its Kakuri plant in Kaduna on Tuesday, blamed the inability of the Federal Government and its agencies to patronise the company for its near collapse.
Onyebuchi, who stunned the representative of Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga; and Gowon at the event, said the Federal Government was to blame for the current state of the company because of its preference for foreign vehicles.
“We are looking at the situation whereby a serving minister will threaten to resign from office if the Federal Government insists on importing official vehicles. Mr. Aganga, can you do it, can you resign if it happens?” he asked.
However, the Federal Government accused state governors of patronising imported vehicle brands instead of locally produced ones, pointing out that without the governors creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive, the economy would not grow.
Sambo said, “Without having a governor who is creating the enabling environment for businesses to thrive, some of these things will not work without constant electricity generation.”
