Navy’s Call up Card, a Temporary Succour to Apapa Gridlock – AMATO

The newly introduced call up card system for trucks by the Nigerian Navy, will only transfer the gridlock from Apapa to other parts of Lagos. The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) Chairman, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, made this comment Thursday in Lagos. Has said that is not a lasting solution to the menacing gridlock in Apapa.

Recall, that, only on Wednesday, the Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Commodore Okon Eyo, had said the call up card system would allow only trucks that have business to do inside the port to go in while those without the card would be turned back at the foot of the bridge.

But, in his comment ,the Chairman of AMATO noted, “we see the exercise as transferring the problem from Apapa to Kingsway road, Ojuelegba and Ojota areas because in most of those areas, you still see trucks that are queuing for several days.

“Our position is that the Navy has tried to sanitize Apapa, but what it did is not a permanent solution to Apapa, but they have brought a kind of relief to port users.”

Ogungbemi argued, “the Navy only tries to see how to manage the trucks that are coming into Apapa area so that all the trucks will not just be coming at the same time. But it is not the type of call up that we have been preaching about. The type of call up is something that will be controlled electronically, that will inform the owner of the truck, the driver, shipping companies, terminal operators and NPA without human interference. If there is human interference, there will be favouritism.

“With that, it will be easier to regulate and it will bring sanity and orderliness to the port. If there is human interference, there will be favouritism. If the authority can key into the electronic system, it will be better off,” he concluded.