NPA,  Truckers Face-off: FG invites truck union to Abuja

ABIOLA Seun      |       

The Federal government has intervened in the face off between the Nigerian Ports Authority, truck drivers and Nigerian Navy over alleged extortion that has characterised truck call-up system introduced to ease traffic congestion at the ports.

It was gathered that federal government summoned the leadership of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) to Abuja over the face off.

Confirming the invitation,  the President of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi said he was in Abuja on Tuesday following the summon by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.

According to Chief Ogungbemi, “I cannot talk on the strike action embarked upon by my members at the ports for now because I am already in Abuja to see the SGF, on the issue.

Hopefully, the problem at the ports will be resolved with his intervention.”

It was reported that Port terminals at the Apapa and Tin- Can ports are experiencing cargo congestion as Truck drivers operating at the Nigerian seaports have stopped lifting cargoes since Friday. 

Container terminals at the western port include the APM Terminals Apapa,  Tin Can Island Container Terminal (TICT), Port and Cargo Handling Services and Five star logistics.

While an average of 700 containers are removed daily at APM Terminals, an average of 500 containers are moved at TICT, Port and Cargo and Five star, then about 6600 containers of perishable and non-perishable cargoes are presently trapped at the port in the last three days.  

But,  a highly impeccable source at one of the container handling terminals had also confirmed  that the truck drivers have all down tool and refused to lift consignments.

He said the truck drivers had also been stopped from using the Ijora bridge by the officers of the Nigerian Navy. 

“The truckers have all down tools since Saturday, not one truck moved cargoes out of the port. The truckers are also calling on the Nigerian Navy to stop the call-up system in use because of the high level extortion and brutality.”

When asked the implication, he said, “congestion of course and we all know the implication to the economy, ” he said. 

It is widely known that 98 percent of cargoes in Nigeria ports are evacuated out-of the port using the road as rail and water transportation shared the remaining two percent in the movement of cargoes out of the port. 

Also,  it is only the Apapa port that is connected to rail of all the seaports in the western zone. 

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