The Nation Newspaper

Tag: vehicles

  • Manufacturers disagree with LCCI over imported vehicles’ prices

    Manufacturers disagree with LCCI over imported vehicles’ prices

    The Nigerian Automotive Industry Development Plan (NAIDP) also known as automotive policy) has been described as the best thing to happen to the vehicle manufacturing sector since the early auto assembly plants were set up decades ago.

    Nigerian Automotive Manufacturers Association (NAMA) said this while reacting to the claim by Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Director General Mr. Muda Yusuf, that the increase in prices of imported vehicles should be blamed on the auto policy.

    A statement by NAMA Executive Director Remi Olaofe, explained that NAIDP was introduced to reawaken the moribund assembly plants that were once operating at high capacity.

    This, he said, is to encourage major vehicle importers to attract their (foreign) Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to produce same in Nigeria.

    Olaofe argued that a simple market survey would confirm that as a direct consequence of the NAIDP, the prices of locally assembled vehicles are far lower than claimed by the LCCI DG.

    He said: “We were taken aback that a macro issue of the magnitude of prices of imported vehicles could be so narrowed to a single parameter like the National Auto Policy by a respected LCCI.

    “In coming up with the National Auto Policy, a number of issues were put into consideration with the pivot being to redirect the Nigerian economy from an over import dependent economy to a producing economy.

    “One of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian economy has always been narrowed down to its overdependence on foreign goods with the attendant pressure on its foreign reserve and the exchange rate”.

    Olaofe said the initiatives are backed with incentives and disincentives to the local assemblers and Importers, respectively, which can come in form of variation of duties, tax holidays, and access to funds at cheaper interest rates, in favour of the former.

    Such incentives, he said, are not new, citing precedent with the textiles, furniture and food, sub-sectors, among many others, where policy makers went to the extent of placing some items of import on the “Not-Valid-for Foreign-Exchange-List”, in order to protect the local manufacturers.

  • Suspect nabbed for registering stolen vehicles

    The police in Zone 5, Benin City, Edo State, have arrested a suspect, Garrette Sunday, who allegedly specialises in registering stolen vehicles.

    The suspect, who was nabbed in Agbor, Delta State, was said to be an expert at issuing fake documents on stolen vehicles.

    Items recovered from his home include booklets of insurance certificate, booklets of roadworthiness certificate, hackney carriage permit booklets, general motor receipts, typewriter, fake third party insurance stamp for policy authentication and seal marker for attestation of genuineness.

    Spokesman Emeka Iheanacho said in a statement that Garrette was arrested after operatives bust car dealers, acting on intelligence report.

    It said the dealers specialised in dealing in stolen vehicles, adding that eight posh cars, suspected to be stolen, were impounded.

    Iheanacho said the dealers have absconded.

    He said it was in the course of unravelling owners of the vehicles that the police visited motor licensing offices in Benin, Agbor and Yenagoa in Bayelsa State and discovered that the documents were forged.

    The spokesman said the suspect confessed and would be arraigned after investigation.

    He urged the public to be wary of criminals and register their vehicles at licensing offices.

  • ASSIBIFI seeks insurance for articulated vehicles

    Workers in banks and  insurance companies have urged law enforcers to demand insurance documents for articulated vehicles as a strategy to develop the industry and ensure healthy trucks are on the roads.

    The workers made the call under the aegis of the Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions (ASSIBIFI).

    ASSIBIFI President Mrs Oyinkan Olasanoye spoke in Lagos on the failure of truck owners to insure their vehicles.

    Olasanoye was reacting to a report that the insurance industry might have abandoned a huge business segment worth an estimated annual revenue of N30 billion.

    According to her, unless enforcement agents arrest tanker and trailer drivers, who fail to provide insurance papers, truck owners would not insure their vehicles.

    She said insurance companies would want to insure articulated haulage vehicles, but were hindered by many factors.

    “Some of the owners do not give complete information on the state of their vehicles. The state of the roads is bad, which leads to frequent accidents,’’ she said.

    According to the unionists, no insurance company will insure a vehicle when the indemnity is higher than the amount paid as premium.

    “Property in Nigeria is inadequately insured and it is a key problem,’’ the ASSIBIFI president said.

    She said governments should ensure the enforcement of laws on vehicle operations for standards.

    “If a tanker or truck driver is arrested for not having an insurance document, he will have no choice but give the right information to insure that vehicle,’’ she said.

    The union leader urged insurance companies to partner haulage drivers to repair some roads that could cause havoc as part of their social responsibilities.

    Some stakeholders had identified challenges to insuring articulated haulage vehicles to include poor state of the vehicles, poor state of roads and lack of adherence to standard operational safety measures by truck operators.

    Data from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) showed that about 62 road accidents, involving 65 tankers, were recorded in the first quarter of 2017 with several lives and about N3.2 billion lost to the accidents.

  • Evans: police took my N55m, $10,000, 29 vehicles, others

    Evans: police took my N55m, $10,000, 29 vehicles, others

    •He is lying, say police

    Alleged billionaire kidnap kingpin Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (a.k.a. Evans) has accused seven senior police officers and others on the Inspector-General (IG) Intelligence Response Team of extortion and sexual assault.

    He alleged that the investigators forcibly obtained his cash in local and foreign currency, phones, wrist watches, jewelry, television, cars and trucks.

    Evans claimed that his girlfriend, Amaka Offor, “was roundly sexually molested and abused by the above policemen of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team”.

    In an October 13, 2017 petition written on his behalf by his counsel, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, he called for “appropriate sanctions and dismissal of the culpable police officers and policemen”.

    The lawyer claimed that the policemen “forcefully and corruptly extorted” N50 million from Evans and his wife was also forced to part with another N5 million.

    A sum of $10,000 was also allegedly forcibly taken from him.

    He listed other items to include a Brigade wristwatch, valued at $117; a $70,000 pendant cross; a necklace of  $25,000; a Virtu phone worth $30,000; a Virtu Signature phone valued at $17,000; and five pieces of Saphono Ruccu diamond rings worth $100,000.

    Ogungbeje also accused the police of taking away from his apartment, his 85-inch Samsung television set, worth N6.5 million.

    Other items were 25 Mack trucks; a Lexus 470 jeep; a Grand Cherokee jeep; a L400 Mitsubishi Bus and a gold-colour Toyota Highlander jeep.

    The lawyer alleged that Evans’ girlfriend, one Amaka Offor, “was roundly sexually molested and abused by the police team”.

    But Force spokesman CSP Moshood Jimoh and Head of the Inspector-General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) ACP Abba Kyari  described Evan’s lawyer as  someone on deliberate misleading allegations of extortion against the police.

    In separate interviews with The Nation yesterday, the two officers expressed disgust over Ogungbeje’s claim that IRT operatives had extorted expensive telephone handsets, vehicles, money and other valuables from his client.

    Jimoh said it was unfortunate that a handful of people, who claim to be very knowledgeable easily resort to desperate name-calling against the police when officers and men are only carrying out their basic statutory duties in the interest of millions of citizens.

    “As for the allegations being made against policemen, who are investigating the kidnap suspect, I can assure you that they are unfounded claims.

    “That notwithstanding, our officers and men will neither be intimidated nor distracted from performing their statutory responsibilities,” he stated.

    Kyari expressed grave disappointment, stressing that policemen, who risked lives and limbs to bring notorious criminals to justice, did not deserve such despicable treatment.

    He said: “Several of the items that he (Ogungbeje) was referring to were items that we publicly displayed and these were given adequate media coverage across Nigeria.

    “Besides, does it make sense for anyone to have expectations that the proceeds of grievous crimes like kidnapping or murder should remain in the hands of a suspect, who can use such resources to further his own ends?

    “The telephone handsets that clearly linked the suspect to crimes and other relevant exhibits displayed before are still intact in custody; nobody is doing all the things being unfairly alleged.”

  • Customs seizes 3, 278 bags of rice, 55 vehicles

    Customs seizes 3, 278 bags of rice, 55 vehicles

    Niger Area Command of Nigeria Customs Service generated N1.9billion from January to September, the Area Controller, Mr. Benjamin Binga, has said.

    He told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Minna that the command seized 3, 278 bags of rice and 55 vehicles with Duty Paid Value of N52.6 million and N51.6 million during the period.

    Binga said the command comprising Niger, Kogi and Kwara states, would meet its 2017 revenue target of N2.8 billion by the end of the year.

    He stressed that customs personnel would mount surveillance and adopt measures to make smuggling impossible.

    “The command has deployed competent officers to manage identified illegal routes used by smugglers to bring in unwholesome goods,” Binga said.

    He solicited the support of community leaders in the three states to assist customs field officers with information on the movement of smugglers.

     

  • LASTMA gets 10 patrol vehicles

    LASTMA gets 10 patrol vehicles

    Lagos State Government has handed over 10 new Ranger pickup vehicles to the State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA.

    Permanent Secretary Office of the Governor’s Office, Mr Oluseyi Whenu said the gesture was in line with government’s effort to equipping the agency towards improved performance

    Whenu reiterated the government’s commitments to reducing traffic gridlock in the state.

    According to him, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode will not relent to reduce stress on Lagos roads. He also advised LASTMA management to reciprocate the good gesture by ensuring civility and proper conduct on the road.

    LASTMA Chairman Chris Olakpe, a retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) assured that the vehicles will be put to good use.

    Olakpe said the agency will continue to add value to traffic management in the state.

    LASTMA General Manager Olawale Musa announced the creation of a Special Task Force for the Apapa Port to be supported by men of the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in the state.

    Musa said government is committed to ensuring free flow of traffic along the axis and other parts of the state.

    The distribution of the vehicles, he said, is part of the present administration’s commitment to reposition LASTMA for efficient service delivery to the populace.

     

  • Council poll: Ekiti PDP members sleep in the open, vehicles

    The crisis rocking Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened yesterday as members opposed Governor Ayo Fayose’s decision to shift primaries of the council election to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Party leaders and members from the 16 councils have been trooping into the state capital to participate in the primary to elect chairmen and councillors for the December 23 poll.

    Party members, who arrived in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday for the weeklong event, slept in the open; in vehicles and under the Okesa Flyover Bridge, under construction.

    News of disqualification of aspirants further deepened the party’s crisis.

    A party leader from Ekiti East Local Government Area, who spoke in confidence, wondered why the governor did not allow the delegates to elect their candidates in their localities.

    He said: “I have not heard of a situation where a primary to elect councillors and chairmen is conducted in the Government House.

    “We never thought we would sleep in places not conducive for us, all in the name of a local government election primary. We are not happy with what is going on in our party because we have become a laughing stock by holding this primary inside Government House.”

    A PDP governorship aspirant, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, slammed Fayose for allegedly hijacking conduct of the primary and “turning himself into electoral officers” and exercising powers not vested in him by the Constitution.

    In a statement yesterday by the Director of Media and Publicity of Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Mr. Niyi Ojo, the governorship hopeful urged national leaders of the party to save Ekiti chapter from collapse.

    The aspirant criticised Fayose for fixing the maximum age for chairmanship candidates at 50 and maximum age for councillorship candidates at 30, contrary to the Constitution.

    He said: “There is nowhere in the Constitution that stipulates a maximum age for any elective position.

    “Thousands of our members were subjected to untold hardship by sleeping on grasses, in buses, cars and concrete platforms. The governor adopted Option A4 method, which attracted a lot of people, without any arrangement for accommodation of delegates.

    “Surprisingly, yesterday, the publicity secretary of the party in Ekiti State issued a statement that the governor had disqualified all chairmanship aspirants from Ado Local Government Area.

    “Also, some local government chairmanship aspirants from Ido/Osi, Moba and Ikole were included in the illegal disqualification for alleged unruly behaviour. He called for a fresh nomination before Friday for other interested aspirants.

    “We believe that only a court of law can disqualify a candidate for an election, not by executive fiat by the governor. We call on the national leadership of the PDP to intervene in the situation before it degenerates into another a crisis.

    “Governor Fayose is not the owner of PDP, but he is only privileged to be a governor. We appeal to our people who have been subjected to all forms of dehumanising treatment and conditions to remain calm and be loyal to the party.”

    But Fayose said Option A4 was adopted to conduct the primary “because of the need to allow transparency in the process”.

    In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, the governor said the system would also give room for the most popular candidates to win.

    According to him, Option A4, which involves bringing delegates to the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, will also reduce acrimony because losers would see a free and fair process.

    Fayose said: “We want a transparent process to select our candidates and we don’t want to have serious issues as fallout of the exercise.

    “If a person loses and sees that there was a level-playing field, his complaints and grievances would be minimal.

    “To ensure fairness in accreditation of those to vote, you have to come with your party membership card and voter’s card. Besides, party executives in each ward as well as aspirants are at the gate to identify voters before they come in.”

    Also, only seven of the 13 wards in Ado were concluded; all seven chairmanship aspirants from the council were disqualified.

    A statement by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, Mr Jackson Adebayo, said they were disqualified for alleged “gross misconduct”.

    It said those interested in contesting should collect the nomination form before Friday and pay the mandatory fees while a date for the primary would be communicated to them.

  • Ogun customs seizes N115m smuggled vehicles, rice, poultry products

    Men of the Ogun Customs Area Command have intercepted seven posh cars, bags of rice and frozen chicken worth a sum of N48 million from suspected smugglers.

    The vehicles are: 2011 Ford Edge SUV, 2006 Toyota Highlander, Audi 80,Nissan Sunny, 2015 C300 Mercedes Benz, 2013 Toyota Highlander and a Toyota Sienna space bus.

    Disclosing this to newsmen at the Idiroko Customs Area Command, Comptroller Sani Madugu said his men intercepted the goods from smugglers who fled on sighting operatives of the Command.

    He said: ‘’We have a total of seven cars seized from the smugglers who abandoned the vehicles and fled when they sighted our men within the Idiroko axis. The vehicles are keyless and five out of them carried various prohibited goods and these items are going to be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

    “Also, we have equally seized 20 bags of granulated sugar and 42 kegs of groundnut oil totalling over N48 million Duty Paid Value(DPV). At Abeokuta, a truck loaded with imported cartons of poultry products belonging to a cement manufacturing company with a Duty Payable Value (DPV) of N67.5million.

    “The truck was intercepted on Saturday at about 3:45 a.m at the Sagamu Interchange end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. The driver of the truck, on sighting our men ran away, but his partner was arrested. The command also intercepted two Sport Utility Vehicles and seized 17 kilogrammes of cannabis smuggled into the country from the Benin Republic.

    The cannabis has since been handed over to the Ogun State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    Speaking further, Madugu said: ‘’The war against smuggling is a total one in Ogun State. The officers and men are committed to their duty including the Area Controller. The Deputy Controller (Enforcement) goes on patrol with a term of dedicated officers and I usually go round to supervise what they are doing.

    “We are redoubling our efforts and it is a continuous exercise in the Ogun Area Command. What we are doing to tackle smuggling so far is giving us good results and that is why we are here to showcase the seizures we have made. You can see the number of prohibited goods that people are trying to bring into the country. I want to advise the public to come forward and pay their duty to customs on non-

     

  • Six vehicles, 68 motorcycles impounded

    The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force) at the weekend impounded six vehicles and 68 motorcycles for driving/ riding against traffic on Apongbon Bridge, Lagos Island.

    Task Force Chairman Olayinka Egbeyemi, who led the operation, said the offences contravened the Lagos State Road Traffic Laws of 2012.

    He said he was surprised that the offenders drove/rode against traffic without fear of collision with on-coming vehicles.

    Egbeyemi warned all illegal commercial motorists and traders operating under the Apongbon Bridge, including those collecting illegal fees, to vacate the area immediately.

    “We are issuing a final warning to all those concerned including illegal touts with uniforms collecting fees from motorists and traders under the Apongbon Bridge to vacate the area immediately.”

    Egbeyemi hinted that Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is investing a “huge amount of money” in constructing Bus Terminals across the state for the public’s benefit.

  • ‘LSSTF’s seven vehicles will help tackle crime’

    The police have praised the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) for donating seven new Nissan Pickup Vehicles to the command, saying the vehicles would be deployed to tackle crime.

    Acting Commissioner of Police Imohimi Edgal, who stated this while receiving the vehicles from LSSTF’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Abdurrazaq Balogun, described the donation as timely.

    “With these vehicles, the challenges of mobility often experienced by our men would be drastically reduced,” he said.

    Edgal praised the LSSTF for sustaining the tempo of donations which recently marked its 10th year.

    He said the intervention and support of such critical security infrastructure, had made lives and properties better secured.