Maritime industry stakeholders last week, descended heavily on the Nigerian Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), they called for the probing and possible scrapping of the agency.
The stakeholders which included the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) and a former president of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) spoke separately with Shipping Position Daily last week in Apapa.
The founder of NCMDLCA, Mr. Lucky Amiwero alleged that instead of finding solutions to the numerous problems in the automobile sector the, council is busy putting the sector into more problems.
He however added that the Council should not only be probed, but also be scrapped.
“They (NADDC) are not serious, how can you go for a 100% hike in tariff when you have not developed anything in the country, the auto policy is a failure and I think they have to scrap it out and review it completely”
“It is not in line with any auto policy in the world. I don’t think the NADDC knows what they are doing, they should be scrapped and probed, they don’t know what they are doing they are just putting the country into problem” he said.
Also speaking, the founder of AREFFN, Dr. Frank Ukor argued that the council has outlived its usefulness and as a result should be closed.
“The proposal is outrageous they cannot say that, as a matter of fact they have not done anything. All the monies we have been paying into the automotive council, what have they done with it, we have been paying 1% to them. The council should be closed they have outlived their usefulness they are no longer useful”
Meanwhile, the former national president NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke said that very soon they are going to set up an advocacy group calling for the probe of the council.
He maintained that the council has not been able to design any single vehicle since it started despite all the money clearing agents have been paying into the council.
“NADDC as an organization should be probed. All the money that we have been paying through the 2% National Automotive Council Development (NACD) over the years what have they been doing with it. What have they done with it and what type of vehicle have they been able to develop with the money. Which vehicle can they proudly say they designed? Very soon we are going to set up an advocacy group calling for a committee of inquiry into their activities”, he said.
It will be recalled that the Director Polciy and Planning of NADDC, Mr. Farouk Umar, last week proposed higher import tariffs of 100 per cent on Fully Built Units (FBUs), and 125 per cent on used cars.
