FCT NATA moves for loan facility from BOI

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapter of the National Automotive Technician Association (NATA) has formally made moves to secure loan facility for its members from the Bank of Industry (BOI).
This was made known during the foundation laying ceremony of the association’s permanent official secretariat, located at the Apo Mechanic village.
It will be recalled that Members of House of Representatives on Wednesday stressed the need for Bank of Industry (BoI) to relax the conditions attached to accessing various intervention funds by enterpreneurs across the country.
Specifically, the lawmakers urged Federal Government to review the loan repayment plan for the N140 billion start-up capital called Government Enterprising and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) which formed part of the N500 billion social intervention package of the Federal Government.
The foundation laying ceremony, which coincided with its general meeting hosted by the Apo mechanic village unit, saw members of the association expressing optimism towards the activities of the Philip Ogunshakin led FCT chapter of NATA.
Ogunshakin in his address thanked the Director General of National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), Aminu Jalal and the agency for the training it provided for members of NATA, to update their knowledge of modern automobile and to provide efficient service.

The chairman in a chat with BusinessDay on the sideline of the event further informed that association was in the process of getting some form of loan from the Bank of Industry (BOI), for some of its interested members to enhance efficient service delivery.

“When we requested for the loan, they asked us to go and form a cooperative, when we make a cooperative, they will give us how we are going to pay; they said for ten people in a group will be N1million but we told them that it is too small because some of us, our instruments are more than N200,000.

“The challenge we have with the car owner, is when our member cheat a customer, we are ready to deal with the member, if a customer wants to cheat a member, and we are also ready to support him in the right way.

“Another challenge we have in the FCT is what we call the task force, but now we have a log book, the log book is supposed to contain your vehicle number, the time you brought the vehicle, the color of the vehicle, for security purpose, and you sign in when you come in, and sign out when leaving to show that the vehicle is not in the custody of our member again. It was the commissioner of Police that approved the log book for us about 4 to 5 years ago”, he said.

Moshood Akanda, chairman of the Apo Unit of NATA commended the FCT leadership of NATA for what he termed as the positive inputs it had been bringing in for its members, affirming their commitment towards ensuring that both interests of the customers and technicians are protected.