NARTO Says 9 Truck Drivers Died in Apapa Traffic, 2018 Alone

By ZION Olalekan |

The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has said that about nine of its drivers died in the year 2018 alone while queueing up to gain access into the Apapa and Tin Can Island Ports.

Vice chairman, Dry Cargo Section of the Lagos State branch of NARTO, Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa in a chat with our correspondent at the weekend, appealed to government to come to their aid and save them from untimely deaths resulting from the stress of the traffic gridlock Apapa.

The appeal from NARTO is coming few hours a truck driver, Mr. Idowu Abiodun Olaegbe died.

The death occurred on Friday, August 31, 2018.

Idowu’s death is coming just few days after the sudden death of a driver who died last week under the same stressful hurdle on Apapa Oshodi Expressway while still on the queue.

The death of Olaegbe was on that faithful Friday was said to have resulted from stress from long queue from the Apapa gridlock, a situation that have made many operators and port users to suffer untold hardship and trauma on their way to office.

Though, report had it that the late driver had a night before his death complained of illness, and was said to have taken some drugs to suppress it on that Thursday night before retiring to sleep, but could not make it to the next day.

It would be recalled that last week another truck driver was reported to have died while on the queue while struggling his way through the Tin Can Port before the tragedy occurred while still on his way to access the Tin Can port last week.

Already the body of the late Idowu, who is from Ogbomoso town, Oyo State had since been taken home and buried.

The deceased, according to information, was a registered member of NARTO, Oyo State branch.

His truck was registered with Zamfara State with the registration No. XA 596 BUG.

According to the NARTO vice chairman: ”The recent death was as a result of stress in this work. It’s unfortunate that we continue to lose drivers and motor boys for the reason.”

He further blamed the bad roads on the government, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), shipping companies, who refused to build holding bays for empty containers but also called on the authorities to do everything humanly possible to stop this mess”.

”Thank you very much for this question. You see, as a matter of fact, I have a record of about nine people (drivers and their motor boys) who have died on queues that same way.”

Reacting further, he added: ”Yes, they died on the queues. And many had died like that. What you asked whether there is insurance coverage for our members as well as welfare package for drivers and motor. You also asked me a question on about the proliferation of various associations with example like AMATO and many others which I said there of freedom of association. Because of those splinter groups coming up here and there and some of the groups who don’t have national spread or structure on ground but through one way or the other they come and brainwash others for one selfish reason or the other and that is affecting the dry cargo section.”

Speaking further on insurance coverage and welfare package for his members, Alhaji Inuwa said “There are plans for members. The national leadership is currently working with the government to ensure that these welfare packages and insurance coverage”, he said.

”You know, we have that plan for the dry cargo section. We have insurance scheme for our drivers on wet cargo too and others even the PTD of NUPENG have drafted conditions of service for all the drivers you are seeing.”

On whether such welfare package is extended to the motor boys as well, Alhaji Inuwa answered in the affirmative and said they are part of this good arrangement.

”They have such conditions of service. Here we introduce in the dry cargo section. I think in 2012, we called it ”Dry Caddies’’ and I happened to be the coordinator of the Lagos State chapter but along the way, or because of one thing or the other, we suspended it and right now we are trying to reinstate it back onto the system as some of our members are already calling for that.

“We are trying to bring it back but we are waiting on our national leadership to bring out what they have concerning that. And when it reaches like that, you will know it is from the national level they have packaged it alongside with a consultant and an insurance firm. We are still expecting them but I know that they are on it,” Inuwa concluded.