Samuel Babatunde (Registrar, POTMAN)
We cannot do without these items especially when you talk about the used electronics specifically, based on the economic standard of this country. The question is: how many Nigerians can afford new things like fridges, television sets and so on, how many Nigerians can buy brand new electronics products? The only one that is available to the common Nigerian is the used items; I think if the standard of the country’s economy improves then we can see how we can be able to go into new products and jettison second-hand goods as its being called. From my perspective, the NESREA approach is a little bit harsh, what they should do is to put a measure of control on the product, for example they should find out how many quantity are into the market already, the sources of the market and how to consistently be reducing the importation, government did not just ban second hand cars from coming into the country, it was a gradual process which NESREA must also adopt.
Chuks Okereafor (Terminal Operator)
I believe there is a ready market for these products and that is why they keep coming into the country, because I don’t believe an importer will go and import an item that people will not buy. Again the price of these products is so cheap that everybody can afford it. Government can only communicate to the masses with the aid of these electronics and if they cannot afford it how do they get to know what is happening around them. If not for the small generators in town today, do you think it is everybody that can afford to own generators? To my own knowledge, what they are supposed to be calling toxic is not what they call it, these are categories of cargoes like that discharged at the Koko port. But it’s a pity that all the agencies just want to come into the port and make money.
Alhaji Shakirudeen Adigun (Chairman, Murphy Shipping)
Why should we turn our country into a dumping ground by bringing condemned items? Used tires, television sets, refrigerators, used batteries and so on are toxic and they are dangerous to our health, some of them when you purchase it in less than a week it will pack up, I have seen people in their houses they have more than two to three televisions which they don’t even have the time to look at, government should be very strict about banning and also encourage the industries that manufacture these items to grow in Nigeria, because if people are desperate to have something and they cannot get it, they can go to any length to have it, but when there is an alternative like when they are manufactured here, and are selling at reasonable price then there will be no more problems, the private sector also must not fold their hands.
M.F.K. Oladeinde (Asst. Dir. Human Resources, MAN)
I believe other countries also started with this level before they developed their own industry, we are still developing and so we have to start from somewhere, it’s the foundation for development, it is from some of these second hand products that our people can learn and begin to manufacture their own before they can now become acceptable worldwide. The reason why there is market for second hand products is because the level of poverty in the country is too high and even in the country most of the manufacturers are already leaving, we will still need to continue the way we are until things get better, it is part of developmental problems that we can not jump over, we are currently going through our own desert.
Mr. Sunday Okpor (PIASC)
If you say used cars, I believe we cannot do without them because we have not developed up to that level, but when you come down to the rest items like the used fridges, I believe we can do without them, to my knowledge fridges are being produced locally in the country and so why should we go and be importing them, some of these items are being produced locally here with exemption of cars, so we don’t need to patronize second hand ones.
Olanife Adeoye (Petroleum marketer)
We can do without these items if we want, but the problem with us in Nigeria is that we are not patriotic enough, we so much believe in cheap things and for this reason, these unscrupulous importers keep bringing it in, these items are not even sometimes disclosed on their bill of laden and on getting to the market they are useless, they call some of them ‘non-tested’, these items are the ones that at the end of the day constitute erosion problems by blocking our drainage system. Normally if we are patriotic, we should be able to wait, save money and buy new things, in other countries they are trying to get rid of all these second hand items from their country because they want space and because they know that when these things expire they have hazardous effect on the environment and persons.
Geofrey Njoku,[Crisp International]
Truly, I am not in support with tokunboh goods. It is dangerous to mankind and I feel the Government should stop the importation of such items to our nation. It all started with fairly used clothes before cars, fridges,l aptops and so on came on board making it rampart to the society. People who patronize such goods also term themselves as second class citizens and to me it not advisable to use tokunboh at al,l it is dangerous to mankind.
Mr Eniola Odulaja [Contractor]
It will take a longer process, but right now what we need to do is that all professionals in various industries should look inward and establish our local industries and rally round the government for support and encouragement. If the local manufactures can cooperate with the government, the level of buying tokunboh in this country will reduce. Concerning importation of the fairly used product and the economy, the Government should look for a way to reduce importation of tokunboh so that we can meet international standards. It is not everybody that can afford brand new things due to the hardship in this part of the world, so if the tokunboh issue is so alarming then government should do it gradually and encourage our local manufacturers
Mr Akamonye Chibueze Richards [Sales Representative]
The tokunboh goods that you see everywhere have helped the masses in terms of business, trade, import, home use, transportation and so on. Go to where they sell electronics, you will hardly see brand new products; except for those showrooms where the real new brands are sold. What you now see everywhere is tokunboh, I won’t blame the importers of the fairly used goods because it goes with the economic situation; most people cannot purchase the new product .
Therefore make use of the tokunboh which be more cheaper and so time last longer than the news ones that are sold in this country. Taking about brand new it not every product that we say is new that is actually new, some new product can be fake while some are real. Now if we say no more to tokunboh can Nigerian afford the brand new product the answer is no, because majority of the populace cannot while minority might be able to afford the new items . The truth is that we have all depended our life on
Mr. Kalu Ibem [Asst Terminal Manager Sapid Terminal]
If the government can help by giving loans to workers , at least if a civil servant is earning seventy thousand naira as salary, he will be able to afford every brand new product he or she want or need may be by paying 20 percent of the salary and not only that ,the government should have a policy that will make this manufacturers come back to the country and start manufacturing such product in the country. Take a look at Toyota for example; Nigerians are going to South Africa to buy the new Toyota vehicles, instead of building a plant in the country they go about importing from other countries of the world. I believe we can do without the tokunboh product.
Mr Segun Michael [Five Star Logistic]
I feel too much of this tokunboh in the country is dangerous because most of them are rusty and corrosive items that are brought into the country and they are giving us problems; especially the cars most of them get accident , they are no more useful over there, yet Nigerians will still import such vehicles that can lead to death. To me, it is not good, but due to the suffering of our people in Nigeria people cannot go for new things because of the cost but If we want to buy fairly used product we should not go for rickety product. It is not easy to ban or stop but there should be at least a level in which these products come into the country.
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