The Nigeria Association of Auctioneers (NAA) has enjoined the federal government, ministries, agencies and individuals to be careful about online auction/internet auctioning, which benefits neither the sellers nor the buyers.
National president of the association, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed Kiliya, in a statement made available to Blueprint, Monday, said “online auction or internet auctioning of unserviceable and perishable items is tantamount to delay and loss of revenue. This cannot benefit the sellers or the potential buyers.”
Specifically, he said online auction sales deals on special items such as brand new vehicles, plants and machineries and not unserviceable or perishable items as the case of those recovered assets that are mostly vehicles and other items that are now beyond economic repairs as a result of long legal battle.”
He explained that the Nigeria Association of Auctioneers have experienced auctioneers that are capable of handling any type of auctions sales, noting that, the standard and practice of disposal for unserviceable items is by open competitive bidding process, which “guarantees maximum revenue and protect image of the government and interest of the general public.”
He said most potential buyers prefer open competitive auction sales of unserviceable and perishable items. Online auction sales can result to hard sales due to lack of physical access to the items, which can lead total decay of the items involved.
He commended the Federal Ministry of Justice, the EFCC and the federal government Joint Committee on Disposal of Recovered and Forfeited Assets and appealed for their co-operation in ensuring that the association handles the process professionally.
“We have made several calls against the activities of the Nigeria Customs Service, regarding seized perishable items and the attitude of negligence, they have neglected the standard process of auction sales of perishable and unserviceable items which is causing loss of revenue and therefore urge the above mentioned Agency to follow the right channel to dispose seized perishable items.”
