Chief Metche Nnadiekwe is the Chairman of Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria, and also the President of the United Berger Motor Dealers Association. In this interview with Shipping Position Daily’s Anozie Egole, the Imo state-born business man, advised the government to make the environment favourable for automobile importers by reducing the duty. He also spoke on other sundry issues.
‘’Government is supposed to appreciate us and not tell us that we are selling smuggled vehicles”
“This man Customs (CG) is not corrupt; he is a man who doesn’t tolerate any kind of thing”
What is your reaction to the ban on vehicles importations through land borders? And what do you think about the cars that are trapped in some places like Cotonou?
Honestly, I tried to advise the government that closing of that borders is not the best thing, instead they should beef-up the security there. And they should also try to bring down the duty paid for the clearance of these vehicles. That is my advice to them because when you increase the price of clearance, you encourage smuggling because people must look for a way out. You make the price of clearing reasonable so that people can key into it. Any person that does not understand it is on his own.
How do you mean making the price reasonable?
Yes, because when you come and tell someone to come and pay N3million to clear one vehicle which is not even a latest car, how much is the person going to sell it to Nigerians. It is not every importer that can afford to pay that amount of money to clear just a vehicle.
The Federal Government recently gave a grace of one month to cars which duties have not been paid. What do you think about that?
It is a very wonderful idea and it is welcomed. This association actually approached the Controller General of Customs, in his office and discussed that with him. He has a listening ear and he is a very great man. The only thing remaining is for him to persuade the government to reduce the prices of clearing of vehicles. Every day they keep increasing the prices of all these and it is not good for the business and Nigerians. Mind you these are the people who voted this government in and they didn’t do that for you to come and be punishing them again, it is very wrong. They should remember that election will still come again and the people will remember who didn’t treat them well. When you look at the people that are in the automobile industry, you don’t ignore these numbers. If you do, they will prove to you that they have massive number that can turn things around.
But, because the Comptroller General has a listening ear, he now devised a means of giving dealers one month grace. This has never happened in Nigeria before; it’s because of his kind of person. This is as a result of the outcome of that meeting.
But people are saying that corruption is more in the Customs under Col Ali than the time of his predecessor; Dikko. What is your take on that?
I want to disagree with that; it’s not the man I know, he is not corrupt. This man is not corrupt. This is a man who doesn’t tolerate any kind of thing. This is a man I have come closer to and I can tell you that he is a good man.
How is the high rate of forex affecting your business?
There is now way you will talk about this business without talking about the foreign exchange, so the earlier it comes down, the better for us.
What is the relationship between Berger Automobile dealers association and National Association of Automobile Importers and Dealers as the government plans to give the later bonded terminals?
There is no association like that, what we have is Association of Motor Dealers of Nigeria. We are the people they say they are going to give the bonded terminals to and I was in the meeting when the decision was agreed upon. The CG of Customs agreed to give us the bonded terminal so far as you meet the requirements, so as to decongest the activities in the port.
What is the strength of your association’s workforce?
You can see things for yourself here. It’s just in this part of the world that people like us are not being recognised by giving us awards and stuffs like that for what we are doing for the government. When you talk about crime reduction, we have tried to ensure that youths who could have been involved in one crime or the other are here. We give them employment and give them orientation that if people like us can come and calm down here and are doing something, they too can do better. We have electricians, painters, and technicians, car washers, among others who could have been outside involving themselves in one crime or the other. They are here making things happen.
Would you say that the good state of the Apapa Oshodi expressway leading to Berger has positively affected your business?
Yes, it has seriously improved our business; if not for what trucks are doing here by blocking the roads. But I look at that road as a fault from the government. Before now outside the toll gate on the Lagos Ibadan expressway, they are supposed to have acquired a place for the trucks to park. When it gets to your turn, you will be controlled to come and load, and not to come and park here on Apapa expressway. Some of them will come and stay on top of the bridge for days and this bridge is not meant for them to park on. So it is very wrong, we do not know the date of expiration of the bridge. You see them come and park all those trucks on the bridge for days. Sometimes they will come and block the entrance to this place; we will stay here for days without sales. It disturbs our customers.
There is this news that most cars here at Berger were not genuinely imported. What is your take on that?
When you talk about Berger, I will not blame anybody that is saying that thing because sometimes, when you want to kill a dog, you will definitely brand the dog any name.
Berger has the largest concentration of vehicles; that is why it is stopping other people from doing their business. Go and check other shops there. Even a brand new vehicle you see on the road people are still complaining. They are all accusing Berger and I don’t know why Berger is their problem. The employment Berger has given in this country nobody is saying it. They want Berger to be closed down and if they succeed, a lot of things will start happening in this town. This Berger has done a lot to cage able bodied boys that are supposed to be doing funny things out there. We packaged and cage them here because I take out my time to be talking to them. Government is supposed to appreciate us and not telling us that we are selling smuggled vehicles. You cannot rule it out though because out of every 12 there must always be a Judas.
What are you security strategies here in Berger?
We have maximum security that does that. After closure of work, anybody that comes here to vandalise anything is on his or her own.
What do you have to say about the FRSC collaborating with NPA to check mate the standard of trucks for haulage?
It is a welcomed development. Most times you find out that the tyres of these trucks are not good. Most of them are not unhealthy. On the contrary, you find out most times these officers collect money from these truck drivers and allow them go. Such trucks should be put off the road or sent to the butcher house.
What is your final say on the ban of importation of vehicles through land borders?
I want to say that the government should try and re-open the land borders and reduce the cost of clearing. The government is losing a lot. If they know what they are losing and what we Nigerians are losing, they shouldn’t have done that. I told them why we were meeting in Abuja that when next they want to do something like that, they should involve the stakeholders. Let’s put ideas together for the good of everyone. We can stop smuggling as far as this Berger is concerned. Because by the time you bring your vehicle at the entrance we will check you and if you didn’t pay your duty we will ask you to go out. By the time we do that to one or two people, everyone will sit up and smuggling of vehicles will be a thing of the past. The government should help us because we voted them in for good.
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