GSM TARIFF IN NIGERIA IS VERY HIGH - CHINEKE
From grass to grace could be the appropriate word to describe Mr. Peter Nick Chineke, Chief Executive Officer C-Net Communication Services. His rise in life and business, from GSM repair to big time distributor of GSM accessories.
He did not see the four walls of any school from primary to tertiary but today he sits comfortably on a business that generates billions of Naira and employs a number of people.
In an interview with Daily Sun, Peter disclosed how he engaged himself in repair of GSM phones when Chief Obasanjo brought it to Nigeria after which he tried his hands on other petty businesses. 'So, I decided to attend GSM courses where I specialized in the repair of GSM phones and immediately I was through with that, I discovered that there were other intricacies in the business which I discovered through the internet. There were things they were doing that we were not doing here which spurred me to attend another training for software application'.
Excerpts: How come you are into communication business? I don't do business on the immediate need of people. Most times I look at what happens now; that is considering a business with a long time value, how long the business would be sustained in the market, how long do I think it will go off? These were some of the considerations I had in my mind and I decided choosing communication as the best option. Though I was into other little businesses before now but immediately GSM came to Nigeria I had a vision that it would last for a longer time hence it was going to be a means of major communication among Nigerians.
Having chosen it, do you believe it is the business that will sustain you in life?
I think communication is a business that anybody who is profit minded should consider as a major option to wriggle out of the economic situation in Nigeria. I discovered that most of the things we do a government could come up one day with a policy that would affect them, which ordinarily should not have been an obstacle in doing business and if they apply it in the area of communication it would affect government business unless where they want to monopolize the market when adopted. Outside that, I think communication is a better option in the sense that everybody is for now allowed to do the business not like other businesses where one policy or the other could cripple your business over night.
Before you come into the business how equipped were you in terms of knowledge and finance.
Not really. I never had any connection, just like when I went to do computer diploma, I just went to do it to have that knowledge and today it is yielding fruit to what I desired since I had no formal education before venturing into business. When I decided to go into communication, it is like going into other businesses like going into motor business where I buy vehicles and re-sell them, I was also into transportation. I was a franchise scheme owner in Imo state transport system.
When GSM came into Nigeria, I was encouraged to join the train because I felt that it was going to be a flourishing business that would attract others. But when you talk about my experience I will say I had no experience in communication until GSM became a means of communication. However when it was introduced, I decided not to go into it as a layman, so I decided to attend GSM courses where I specialized in the repair of GSM phones and immediately I was through with that, I discovered that there were other intricacies in the business which I discovered through internet they were doing that we were not doing here which spurred me to attend another training for software application and with that I was well equipped in the Telecommunication and IT services. With that I considered the ability to serve and meet the demand of the people in telecommunication. I have to confess that it was when GSM came to Nigeria that I garnered the knowledge.
From what you have said, what is the prospect of communication in the country?
I think the sector will give employment to Nigerians as other sectors do in enhancing the economy of the country. Economically, the country has benefited from communication because it has reduced the rate of crime among the youths. From this my humble position I organize youth activities in Abakaliki, even undergraduates from the universities come up with proposals for my sponsorship even when I should not be a major focus, yet I still give such assistance.
As at now I have a football team I am financing which I have spent a lot of money in order to make sure most of them do not roam about in the streets because it is only when they are idle that you see them jumping into one crime or another. If you go to the streets in this state you will observe that most of the youths are into communication one way or another, downloading music into people's phone; sourcing information or giving out information. The sum total of it is that we are benefiting from communication.
Will you now say you made the right decision by going into communication business when some people use it as a means to commit crime?
It is not a problem of communication rather it is a problem of Nigeria. There are other communication services not GSM in other countries we don't have in Nigeria, they don't use it to commit crime. It is only in Nigeria because of the system we operate here that people use every opportunity to go into crime. You will observe that it is not just that communication came into Nigeria that these whole fraud and crime were being committed; they are only using technology to perfect their crime.
So, communication has more to offer Nigerians positively than negatively. I believe that if government comes up with adequate security measures I think communication is the easiest way to track down a criminal. I could remember when I was in Zimbabwe, I heard a story of a Nigerian who was a drug peddler and he was alleged to have parceled a drug to his client in Zimbabwe and they were transacting the business on phone and the security used the same means to track them down at their hideout using GSM and land phone. So if our security agencies could measure up we would not see GSM as a security threat in Nigeria.
Do you see registration of SIM cards as a necessary thing to do, do you think it will actually help to curb cyber crime and others
While not deviating from the question; I would like to remind you that we are Nigerians, we live in Nigeria and most of the things people consider when contracts are awarded, they don't consider the good it would do to the people, rather they selfish interest. I always remember what an American said to the people that Americans should not think of what the country should do for them rather what they should do for America, this is the major problem we have in this country.
When you see a wealthy Nigerian, what would be in his uppermost mind is how to maximize his business and not how it would benefit the people around him, the community and the entire Nigerians and when you have problem you look onto the government to solve it for you. If I use it as a yardstick to judge the issue of SIM card registration, the question then should be what are the intentions of NCC; are they trying to use the opportunity to make money; however if the intention is right only to curb crime I think it is a good one.
If it is all about how to sap the people; don't be surprised that after the registration they will come up with another bogus policy because I was once defrauded by a network that was deducting N100 daily from my credit without making any call that I was almost pushed to the wall to report to EFCC or ICPC. You are using your phone and they kind of lure you into registering one of their 419 games without you knowing it; those things are fraud, where you have over 160 million Nigerians and you have about 80 million using phone and you subject them into that kind of fraud where you rake in millions of Naira without them knowing it. And if they are using the money to better the lives of the people, it will be better but in a situation that it goes into private pockets is criminal.