The Nation Newspaper

Tag: SUVs

  • ‘We don’t owe member who gave us SUVs’

    ‘We don’t owe member who gave us SUVs’

    Grace Nation Church has said it does not owe Omolayo Michael, who gifted it two vehicles three years ago and is demanding their return.

    In a statement, the church’s lawyer, Ilesanmi Akinwale, noted Michael gave the church two SUVs of his free will during service, but denied the church owed him.

    He clarified that the church never solicited nor requested any gifts from Omolayo.

    The statement reads: “Sometime in 2021, Omolayo during service gave two cars to the church to express and appreciate God’s faithfulness in his life, family and business and gave the original documents of these vehicles to the church secretariat.

    “For close to three years, the vehicles were really never in use and were parked in one spot until the church management decided that rather than allow the vehicles to rot, one of them should be sold and the proceeds remitted to church coffers.

    Read Also: Nigeria has 40.2m agriculture households – NBS

    “The management also agreed the second SUV be given as a gift to a member to support and encourage members.

    “In March, Michael approached our pastor for N10 million financial assistance, saying his business had not been doing well. Efforts were made to assist him in obtaining a loan from a bank.

    “We were shocked when he told the police the church refused to return the SUVs and owes him N50 million for supply of diesel.

    “We have been inundated with calls from the media threatening to publish negative reports against the church.

    “While we reiterate our commitment to stand by our members in difficult times, we will not allow anyone to damage our reputation and integrity through cheap blackmail, character assassination and extortion…’’

  • Mazda recalls 190,000 SUVs over loss of steering

    Mazda is calling back more than 190,000 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to replace potentially defective parts.

    The carmaker plans to recall 190,102 model year 2007 to 2012 Mazda CX-7 vehicles after finding they may contain an issue that causes a loss of steering control.

    According to a notice posted with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, water may enter the vehicles’ front suspension ball joint fittings.

    If the water entering the vehicle joint contains salt — such as from driving over snowy, treated roads — the ball joint may corrode and separate from the lower control arm, resulting in a loss of steering control.

    Mazda said it will notify owners and dealers for replace of both the front lower control arms when parts are available.

    As a priority, Mazda will first address all affected 2007-2008 vehicles as well as 2009-2011 vehicles currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia. West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    All remaining vehicle will be recalled when parts are available.

  • Audi Q1 leads as Volkswagen Group unveils new wave of SUVs

    Audi Q1 leads as Volkswagen Group unveils new wave of SUVs

    The Q1 will be based on the platform that underpins the three-door Audi A3

    The new MQB platform from the Volkswagen Group is going to get plenty of iterations in the next year. It’s going to be underpinning a whole slew of small SUVs from the company. Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen SUVs are all on the way, all aiming for the space below vehicles like the Skoda Yeti and Audi Q3.

    There should be considerable savings in both investment and time if they share the common platform, and those benefits should be passed on to consumers.

    The first vehicle to emerge in this programme is the Audi Q1, which we should see at the Geneva motor show in March 2016. The Q1 will be based on the platform that currently underpins the three-door Audi A3.

    There should be a range of engines offered by the VW Group, from 1.0-litre to 2.0-litre, from petrol to diesel, and there should be hybrid versions as well. Prices should begin between £14k and £20k for the different brands within the group.

  • Adamawa splashes N300m on 21Prado SUVs for council chiefs

    Adamawa splashes N300m on 21Prado SUVs for council chiefs

    •Acting governor defends purchase

    The administration of the Adamawa State Acting Governor, Umaru Fintiri, has spent over N300 million on Prado Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for 21 local government chairmen barely a month in office.

    Each local government chairman was allegedly given N5 million cash for what a government source described as rate for the initial servicing of the SUVs.

    The “curious gifts” were coming barely two weeks after the local government chairmen defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The same Acting Governor, who splashed cash on the council chairmen, will today inaugurate a Judicial Commission of Inquiry into alleged mismanagement of funds by the immediate past administration of former Governor Murtala Nyako.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the 21 Chairmen were given the SUVs at the Government House in Yola after a PDP stakeholders’ meeting last Friday.

    Some of the chairmen, especially those without potable water in their areas, were said to be “moody” when the SUVs were handed over to them.

    Findings in one of the respected auto marts in the country showed that a brand new Prado SUV is between N9.3 million and N11 million depending on taste.

    A fairly used Prado SUV is within the price range of N7.1million and N8.5million based on preferred choice.

    It was learnt that many of the stakeholders were shocked when the chairmen, who came to the session mostly in Peugeot 406, were “transformed” into SUVs unsolicited.

    Although the acting governor, through his Director of Press, Solomon Kumanga, admitted that the SUVs were bought to enable the local chiefs to traverse the state’s difficult terrain, investigation confirmed that it was for political motive.

    It was learnt that the car gifts were meant to compensate the chairmen for defecting to PDP; secure their support for the Acting Governor, who is lobbying to remain in office to complete Nyako’s tenure and to back the re-election bid of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    One of the stakeholders, who spoke in confidence, said: “This is certainly a misplacement of priority. We did not bargain for this after the exit of Nyako.

    “Why will an acting governor rush to go and buy Prado SUVs for local government area chairmen or why will he approve such for these office holders? Why should the purchase of SUVs be the first significant decision this new administration will take? I hope we are not moving from frying pan to fire.

    “During Nyako’s period, only negligible public officers were using Prado SUVs. For a state without enough funds, why SUVs? I think those behind the impeachment of Nyako in Abuja should call the acting governor to order.

    “I knew at the stakeholders’ session, some of these chairmen supported moves by some people for Fintiri to continue in office to complete the tenure of Nyako.

    “They are saying Nyako mismanaged funds, but what do you make of this type of reckless spending now?”

    Some of the local government chairmen confirmed that they were given SUVs and cash on Friday at the Government House.

    One of them said: “We did not really complain about cars, but the state government deemed it fit to give us the SUVs to ease our movement.”

    Kumanga, while confirming the distribution of the SUVs to the chairmen, was quick to add that the funds used for the purchase of the SUVs came from the Joint Account of the Local Governments in the state and not the purse of the state government.

    He also said the chairmen agreed to buy the SUVs at their Joint Account meeting recently.

    Kumanga, who took a little break to clarify things with his boss before responding to our correspondent, said: “The plan to buy the SUVs had been in the offing long before the administration of the Acting Governor came on board.

    “The chairmen agreed at their Joint Account meeting and they wanted the vehicles to be bought for them. The vehicles were bought from their own Joint Account and not from the coffers of the state government.

    “They opted for SUVs at their Joint Account meeting because of the difficult terrain of the state.

  • Folorunsho Alakija plots superlative wedding for son

    Folorunsho Alakija plots superlative wedding for son

    FOLORUNSHO Alakija, billionaire businesswoman, is plotting a high-octane shindig. One of her sons, Rotimi, will be tying the nuptial knot with his heartthrob, Kike Fajemirokun.

    Rotimi who is an executive director at Famfa Oil owned by his mum met Kike in school in UK and they have been dating. Kike attended the University of Lancaster while Rotimi studied at Bristol and got a master’s degree from the University of Surrey.

    Alakija is known not to do things in half measure. Recently, the billionaire oil tycoon acquired four brand new 2013 G-Wagons for her four sons. The luxury SUVs, we gathered, were specially made for the Alakija boys, each is said to have cost at least N22mllion.

  • SUVs, other freebies for DStv subscribers

    IT’S gift galore for subscribers of DStv as several brand-new Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), all-expense-paid trips to South Africa to watch the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations Tournament taking place in January, LCD television sets and many more are among the thousands of freebies that have been lined up for them by MultiChoice.

    According to Mayo Okunola, General Manager, DStv Brand, the prizes which are being given to DStv subscribers in its on-going DStv Mega promo seek to thank and reward customers for their loyalty to the DStv brand over the years.

    “On account of the support of our customers, DStv has recorded enormous progress in Nigeria. The current promo is a token of appreciation to our customers even while we continue to avail them of unrivalled content spanning different genres from news and information to movies, drama, documentary, education and learning, music, sports and so much more, across more than 100 different channels,” said Mr. Okunola.

    The Mega Promo he added, is not restricted to existing customers as new customers who purchase a complete DStv system are also eligible not only for an instant gift, but also to be entered into the Mega promo.

    All customers, regardless of the bouquet they are purchasing or paying a three-month subscription for, will not only get instant gifts but will also stand an equal opportunity of winning any of the prizes on offer in the Mega Promo, said Okunola.