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Tag: cars

  • Cars import drops by 90 per cent

    Cars import drops by 90 per cent

    Toyota (Nigeria) Limited (TNL) has said importation of new cars dropped by about 90 per cent between the first quarter of last year and this year.

    While 3,500 units were imported in  the first quarter of last year, only 350 units were imported in the first quarter of this year amid biting recession worsened by the devaluation of naira and scarcity of foreign exchange.

    TNL Managing Director Mr. Kunle Ade-Ojo, who reeled out this figure at an interactive session with reporters in Lagos, disclosed that the total import in 2015 was 18,000. It dropped to 7000 last year, while Toyota had a share of 43 per cent of the 2015 imports and 38 per cent in 2016.

    Despite the drop in sales and importation, Ade-Ojo said Toyota grew its share from 24 per cent in 2015 to about 26 per cent last year.

    He said total forecast for the year would between 8,000 and 10,000.

    He attributed the reduction in importation to high duty of 70 per cent, which, according to him, dissuades many companies from importing new vehicles. For instance, duty on Land Rover alone is over N15million.

    According to him, in 2015, the total retail market was 32,000 units of vehicles, which plunged to 18,000  last year (about 42 per cent).

    Also, he said commercial vehicles sold more last year at 70 per cent while passenger cars recorded 30 per cent.

    “The scarcity of forex affected businesses last year and that affected importation. Also, there was the devaluation of the naira. Whereas in the first start of last year, dollar was just about N200. By the end of the year, it had doubled. So, prices of vehicles also pretty much doubled in the space of one year and a lot of businesses could not afford to pay for the increase given that they were also struggling to survive,” he said.

  • Customs impounds 13 vehicles owned by senator

    Customs impounds 13 vehicles owned by senator

    The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC) Compliance Task Force, says it has impounded 223 vehicles 13 of which belong to a senator in Kano state.

    The task force also said that it seized other items, including foodstuff worth N269.5 million in Kano and Jigawa states within eight months.

    The Task Force Zonal Commander, Mr Bala Dole, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano on Monday.

    He said the vehicles, belonging to the said senator were; 12 new Toyota Hilux and one Land Cruiser Jeep.

    Dole, who declined to name the said Senator, said the 13 vehicles were trailed from Maigatari in Jigawa, following an intelligence report.

    “Based on the intelligence report, the vehicles were 30 in number but we were able to trail 13 of them 12 of which were hidden in the senator’s compound.

    “We sealed the house and retrieved the vehicles and they are now in our custody,” Dole said.

    He said the other items the task force confiscated during special operations include; 9,757 bags of rice, 2,916 of foreign supergetti, 2,770 cartons of foreign vegetable oil and 999 cartons of macaroni.

    He said others were; 889 veils of second hand clothes, 50 used school bags, 110 cartons of new foreign shoes, 956 bags of mosquito coil and six fairly used cars.

    “The total value of the seizure made by the task force since it was established in July 2016, excluding the 13 Senator’s vehicles, is N269.5 million.

    “We are yet to determine the cost of the 13 vehicles belonging to the Senator“.

  • Chika Okpala, Somkele Idhalama receive cars gifts

    Chika Okpala, Somkele Idhalama receive cars gifts

    Recipients of the Industry Merit Award and Trailblazer Award at the recently held Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), veteran actor Chika Okpala, popularly known Chief Zebrudaya, and talented actress Somkele Idhalama have been presented with car gifts from GAC Motors.

    While Okpala got the new luxury SUV – the GS4, Idhalama received a classic sedan – the GA3 as promised by the organisers.

    Receiving his gift, Okpala thanked Chief Diana Chan, the Chairman of CIG Motors – Sole Distributors of GAC Motor in Nigeria – who made the presentation.

    “For many years, it has been awards upon awards, but this is the most outstanding and I am very appreciative. More sweat to your armpit. Do not drop the standard and do not drop your focus,” he said.

    Somkele on her part was moved to tears when she collected the keys to her car from Chief Diana. She recalled wishing that she would one day be given an opportunity to present an award at the AMVCA, but not only did she win an award last weekend, she also won a car. It was truly an emotional moment for her.

  • Rethink ban of cars import through land borders

    SIR: I have read patiently and read with rapt attention the reason being put forward by the promoters and supporters of the recent ban of cars import through the land borders. However, up till this hour, I am not convinced of the reasons given to justify that awkward policy.

    Government all over the world utilises the principles of market segmentation in their dealings with the citizens, so that the policies would be tailored-made to suit the various strata of the citizenry. Why on earth would a sensible government come up with a one-size-fit-all policy when the environment in which the policy is expected to be implemented is segmented?

    How would a car dealer that can afford to import only one unit of car through the Maigatari border in Jigawa State be made to ship the car through Lagos Port covering thousands of kilometres when his market is in Jigawa/Kano axis? What about the risk involved?

    What happened to those small scale traders who go about their businesses in the Kamba, Illela, MaiAdua, Mubi and other border communities which relied mostly on those car importers and their workers for survival? Is the government saying they should all pack up their businesses?

    What this policy is saying in a simple term is that, an agency of government that is saddled with the responsibilities of collecting import duties have failed in the discharge of its responsibilities. And coming up with this policy is not the panacea to the problem; rather, it would compound the problem since thousands of people would certainly lose their jobs.

    Can’t government utilize information technology to tackle the problem of smuggling? What happened to the inter-agency collaboration that is being put in place? What about the capacity building for the Customs personnel? These are some of the things that need to be done, instead of subjecting the poor masses to avoidable hardship.

    I am happy that the National Assembly has intervened by asking the executive arm to suspend that policy. That is a good development, because President Muhammadu Buhari, Hamid Ali, Kemi Adeosun cannot claim to know better or feel the pulse of the people than the over 400 parliamentarians who were drawn from their various field of human endeavour.

     

    • Mohammed Auta,

    Jalingo, Taraba State.

  • Reps to Buhari: suspend ban on cars importation via land borders

    Reps to Buhari: suspend ban on cars importation via land borders

    The House of Representatives yesterday advised President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend the ban on importation of new and used cars through land borders.

    The ban that was announced on  December 5 by the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) was due to take effect from January 1, next year.

    The lawmakers however said the policy was too harsh as it is bound to pile more economic  miseries on the majority of Nigerians that are already groaning under the prevailing economic recession.

    The decision of the lawmakers followed the adoption of a motion by Abdulahi Salame (APC, Sokoto) who noted that the percentage of Nigerians who can afford cars has declined drastically following the decline in the value of the naira, inflation, unemployment and high cost of living that have bedeviled Nigeria where over 80 per cent of the population live below $200 a day.

    He said: “With its powers under Section 18 of the Customs and Excise Management Act, the government can restrict the movement of goods into and out of Nigeria by land or inland waters and to appoint customs stations, but similar exercise of such powers on rice importation through the land borders in April 2016, has led to untold hardships on Nigerians as a bag of rice now sells for between N20,000 and N23,000  as against N8,000 few months ago.

    “We are also aware that the government has not put in place alternative measures to ensure that Nigerians will have access to cars since it is cheaper to buy cars from neighbouring countries and still generate revenue by ensuring that our borders are secured to prevent smuggling and also that there will not be job losses.

    “Some of those making these policies have failed to patronise made-in-Nigeria goods, especially Nigerian assembled vehicles which are, in any case unaffordable to over 80 per cent of Nigerians who can only afford fairly used imported cars.

    “It is of concern that despite the pitiable state of most Nigerians occasioned by unemployment, lack of funds for survival and high cost of living which has sent many to their early graves, the government is adopting a policy that will further increase the sufferings of the masses at this critical time the country is in recession.

    “It is eqaully worrisome that the ban will cause more harm than good as it will certainly lead to increase in smuggling, deprive poor Nigerians of access to acquiring vehicles, skyrocket the price of cars cleared at wharf, increase inflation and further mount pressure on the already weak naira and lead to idleness, insecurity and criminality at the border posts.”

    Lawmakers that spoke in favour of the motion noted that it is the masses that would be affected more by the new policy.

    According to them, the reason put forward about  payment of duties was not enough to punish the entire country because non-payment of duties was carried out with the active connivance of security officials at the borders.

  • MTN to give N50m, new cars in Yafun Yafun Promo

    MTN Nigeria has launched Yafun Yafun Promo to make the festive season exciting to its subscribers.

    MTN Yafun Yafun Promo is an SMS subscription-based service that allows MTN’s customers earn points for every recharge they make on the network.

    Participants are on line to win prizes including N20,000,000, N2,000,000, Toyota Prado, Mercedes   ML, Generator, Smartphones, Flat Screen TV and lots more.

    General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Richard Iweanoge, said the promo was conceived to make the yuletide memorable for MTN customers.

    He said: “MTN as a brand always has the interest of its teeming customers at heart. With that in mind; we decided to come up with the MTN Yafun Yafun Recharge and Win promo to end the year on a high note of celebrations through their winnings. We appreciate them for their support and this promo is our way of saying thank you to them.”

    The promo is in four categories- Free Zone, Premium Trivia promotion, Loop and the Fitness clue – Iweanoge added that participants’ were expected to recharge their phones and send special short codes to designated numbers which would automatically migrate them into the category of their choice where they would be required to answer trivia questions to win points. These points accumulate over time and it increases their chances of winning.

    “There’s something for everyone in the MTN Yafun Yafun Recharge and Win promo. MTN will be doling out fantastic Prizes such as handsets, TV screens, generators and cash prizes in the Free Zone category while grand cash prize of N20m and a weekly prize of N2m would be won in the Premium Trivia promotion. In Loop and the Fitness clue categories, Toyota Prado and Mercedes   ML will be given away.” He said.

    Iweanoge added that interested participants on the Premium Trivia Promotion, Loop and Fitness clues content service would be charged a daily subscription fee of N100, N50 and N200 customers to qualify for the promo.

  • NGO rewards customers with cars, gift items

    NGO rewards customers with cars, gift items

    Touching Lives International, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has held its second edition of the car award and recognition of top achievers.

    In this year’s edition, seven sport utility vehicles (SUVs) were given out to individuals as well as 402 household items.

    They also received cheques worth US 2,000 dollars to empower the less-privileged people.  Eighty people also qualified for a trip to Dubai next month.

    This is an improvement over the first edition held in July where two persons received the star prize of one SUV each. Each of the vehicles had a monetary value of N7 to 10 million.

    Winners came from Port Harcourt, Calabar, Uyo, Abuja and Lagos. Household items such as LED TVs, washing machines, freezers, laptops, tablets, phones, power generating sets, gas cookers, split unit air-conditioners, cartons of noodles and several half bags of rice were also won.

    The organisation was launched in Nigeria on July 8, though has its headquarters in the Philippines.

    Also present at the event were representatives of the company’s business partners such as Zenith Bank, Skye Bank and Guarantee Trust Bank; Hyundai, Renault; GAC; Changai Motors and Travelstart.

    Country Manager of the company, Moses Durodola enjoined Nigerians to avail themselves of the rare opportunity of not only being a life wire to the communities, but also empowering themselves. He said everyone is a winner and compensated in cash or gifts if their membership of the company is built to a certain level.

    Durodola noted that theirs is an NGO that is welfare sensitive. He reeled off the activities the company engages in to include medical outreaches, skill acquisition and training, catering and bead making through free seminars.

    Emmanuel Okon, one of the recipients who received two cars, expressed his joy for the gesture. He told Southwest Report of how he resigned from teaching to face multi-level marketing as a fulltime profession.

    Okon, who is a post-graduate student at the University of Calabar, is entitled for seven cars, apart from other freebies attached to his awards before the end of the year.

    According to him, he resigned to take up the network business because he knew their will be a promising reward.

    “It has not been easy staying focused, organising seminars and workshops. Now, I realise that all that has been worth the trouble. So, with all these items, I will drive some cars, sell some, give out some and use the rest to establish myself,” he said.

    He urged everyone to key into the business of networking, as it is the only way one can break even in this 21st Century.

    Sansudeen Adebayo, who is the youngest recipient, said he joined the business to get himself out of boredom and also to help himself. He also said he has dedicated all his time and little resources into the business which he said, has sustained him.

    He called on other youths to embrace the networking business in order to take their minds off criminality and other social vices.

  • Mercedes cars to become autonomous personal assistants

    Mercedes cars to become autonomous personal assistants

    Daimler’s Chairman, board of directors, Dr Dieter Zetsche, has revealed that Mercedes-Benz wants to create cars that will act as personal assistants and wellbeing monitors.

    Speaking at the weekend in Berlin, Germany at the Internationale FunkausstelIung (IFA) consumer electronics show, Dr Zetsche explained that cars will one day carry out chores and tasks humans do not enjoy in a bid to improve their quality of life and reduce stress.

    He said cars would be able to communicate with one another and pass on information to make journeys more efficient, and that in the very short term, they will be able to use the shared data to do things such as find spaces and park themselves.

    “We’ve already begun testing community-based parking in Stuttgart together with our partners at Bosch,” Zetsche said.

    He added: “It works using car sensors that can find empty spaces along a road and then share the information with the Mercedes back-end database. That information is then shared with other Mercedes cars.”

    The process means all connected Mercedes cars will be able to instantly know where the nearest and most convenient parking space is. In the short term future, this system will allow users to drive their cars to them, but further ahead, autonomous cars will drive off and park themselves.

    Zetsche said cars will then begin to work as their owner’s assistant, carrying out chores like taking the kids to school and picking up other family members while an owner stays at work or home.

    “Everyone is talking about digitalisation and connected cars. But software alone will not be able to take you from A to B. It is the total package that will take you from A to B,” he said.

    Additionally, the Mercedes boss said cars would work to make sure their passengers are as comfortable as possible during transit.

    “It’s our goal that a passenger gets out of a Mercedes in better condition than when they got in. The car will use its sensors to monitor the health and wellbeing of passengers, and then adjust settings to improve your situation and blood pressure,” he explained.

    While he refrained from going into further details, Zetsche cited the Mercedes F015 concept (pictured above) as an example of the idea. The concept was revealed at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, United States (US), and showcased Mercedes’s vision for autonomous cars that focus on offering maximum comfort to passengers.

    He said: “We do not know exactly what the car will look like in 10 years from now, but we do know it will be of greater value for all of us. That’s why our cars have begun to become quality time machines, to hand back time to let you do what you want.

    “But that time will always include driving a car for pure pleasure. We will certainly never forget that at Mercedes.”

  • NGO gives out cars at promotion

    A multi-level marketing company, Touching Lives International (TLI), which was inaugurated this year in Lagos, has begun to touch the lives of the less-privileged persons in a positive manner.

    The organisation is a platform through which public-spirited individuals offer humanitarian services to the less-privileged. A token of members’ registration fees is used to cater for the needs of the poor.

    The company, which was founded in the Philippines and was inaugurated in Nigeria on July 8 this year, operates as a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

    Recently, two star prize winners emerged after attaining a certain promotional level. They received SUV cars each as their prizes. They also received cheque of three thousand dollars each.

    Narrating how they achieved the feat with N7, 000, Eleogo Adejoh said she qualified for the car eight days after enrollment. She was able to meet her target with the help of her team and down lines.

    The down lines are those who were introduced to the marketing plan. A total of 115 items were given them, such as washing machines, television sets, laptops, iPad and generating sets.

    Miss Adejoh added that the one- off token of N7, 000 donated to charity fetched her car and an opportunity to nominate and empower two widows each, with one thousand dollars in Naira equivalent. If she gets to the next stage, she will nominate two children for scholarships which TLI will shoulder the responsibility on her behalf.

    Another beneficiary, Mrs. Agatha Ekpo, a graduate of Accountancy, who resigned from her banking profession to take up career with TLI full time, recalled how she began multi-level marketing in 2009. She also qualified for the SUV seven days after the product was launched.

    She said: “I encourage Nigerians to embrace multi-level marketing, because it is the fastest way to break out of poverty.”

    Other programmes by the company include free skill acquisition to learn soap and bead making for its members.

    Country Manager of TLI, Mr. Moses Durolola said the company achieved the great number of recipients due to its compensation plan that can’t be compared to any other in the industry.

    “We have a user-friendly matrix that allows members to realise their dreams; because it is a life that is empowered that can touch the lives of the less-privileged. Our prices are competitive because as they bring more members, they are making more money,” he said.

    He revealed that at the end of this month, another set of awards would come up, where beneficiaries will triple the number of July recipients.

  • Ondo lawmaker doles out cash, cars, others to constituents

    Ondo lawmaker doles out cash, cars, others to constituents

    A lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast/Northwest Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Hon. Friday Olemija has distributed empowerment facilities and funds to his constituents in fulfilment of his electoral promises. DAMISI OJO reports.

    The lawmaker representing Akoko Northwest/Northeast Federal Constituency, Hon Friday Olemija, has dolled out cash and other items to his constituents.

    Among the items distributed at Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast are cars, tricycles, motorcycles, deep freezers, grinding machines, sowing machines, hair dryers, plasma television sets, electricity generating sets, musical instruments and wheel chairs for the handicapped with substantial cash.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmaker, who is the former chairman of Akoko Northeast Local Government, Ikare-Akoko, praised the people of his constituency for the support rendered to him during the last year general elections.

    According to him, “to whom much is given, much is expected from such person and in fulfilment of my campaign promises, I have to make my people happy.”

    Olemija said in spite of the economic downturn in the country, he still obliged to put smiles on the faces of the people in his constituency.

    He said he had sponsored three bills on roads in the lower chamber to better the lot of his people, while providing boreholes in many towns.

    He promised that such gesture would be continuous.

    Olemija urged the Ondo State government to pay the salary arrears of the public servants.

    “The state government has no reason to owe its workers salary, considering the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and Federal allocation accrued to the state monthly,” he said.

    He lamented that no fewer than 35 civil servants and pensioners have died due to lack of money for medication.

    The lawmaker, who decried the poor condition of workers in the employ of the Ondo State government, said the state has enough resources to cater for the needs of its workers without leaning on the Federal Government.

    He said Ondo State is blessed with abundant mineral resources, and being part of the Niger Delta states receives more allocation than many states in the Southwest, and wondered why the state government owes its workers five months salaries.

    Olemija expressed worry on what he described as poor welfare of workers in the state, saying the Mimiko-led administration has little respect for the state’s work force.

    He challenged the state government to pay the workers all their outstanding salary arrears, even as he urged the workers to fight for their right and ensure that the state government understands their plight.

    He maintained that the state is economically buoyant to pay its workers and execute physical projects in all the Local Government Areas in the state, adding that government’s insensitivity to the welfare of the people accounts for the under development.

    The legislator advised the people to vote for APC in the governorship election for the state to experience the development it deserves.

    Some beneficiaries of the legislator’s kindness appreciated him for fulfilling part of his promises, urging him to continue impacting on the lives of the people.