Truckers fault Shippers’ Council on statutory role … say truckers associations selfish

TAYO OLADIPUPO |

Amalgamation of Container Truck Owners Association of Nigeria (ACTOAN) has accused both the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) and truck owners in other associations of being responsible for the deplorable state of the port due to their lack-luster attitudes.

The group averred that the failure of the NSC and truck owners to be proactive in taking actions against extortion, arbitrary charges at the port, and gridlock is responsible for the backward nature of the Nigerian ports.

The group alleged the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) of being selfish and selective.

It stated that the three haulage groups have frustrated moves by it to form a common bond against the monsters killing business in the subsector.

It further added that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) is culpable in the blame for not being proactive in addressing the issue of gridlock, extortion and arbitrary charges by terminal operators.

Chairman of the group, Olaleye Thompson said the three major associations in the haulage industry, RTEAN, AMATO and NARTO were operating without sincerity of purpose in the industry

He said this shortly after a meeting held in Lagos, Monday.

The Chairman said that the three associations were taking advantage of the deplorable state of the roads to enrich themselves.

In his words: “I have held series of meetings with these groups of truckers and I told them that am a truck owner myself.”

He averred that quick turnaround time and unhindered business operations help business to move smoothly.

He accused the three major associations in haulage business of being interested in collecting money from truck drivers at the port entry points.

Said he: “And what will be paramount to the business is quick turnaround time and if the business is going unhindered then I don’t think we will be where we are today.

“When you go to Tin Can port access road today, you will find out that these associations are collecting money from people which we are not part of.

“We have tried our best to work in synergy with NARTO, RTEAN and AMATO but I don’t understand what they are up to.

“We have been on this for over two months. It has been one meeting or the other but none has yielded any positive results.

He, however, maintained that the group has decided to work without alliance with other groups which according to him, would possibly yield the desired result in resolving the issues of gridlock and extortion by security agencies along the corridors, pointing out that the introduction of the group’s stickers would aid their operational activities.

“We decided that our group of truck owners should carry the cross by ourselves because sometimes it is only when you have the same interest with people, is when an alliance can work better.

“If you know that your ideas will not be in the same level with theirs, then there is no way we all can be in the same page” he lamented.

The Chairman also called on the Nigerian Shippers Council to be proactive in addressing the issue of gridlock, extortion and arbitrary charges of the terminal operators in Lagos seaports, saying that the agency lacks sincerity of purpose in its operations.

He, therefore, called on the port economic regulator to direct the terminal operators to open all gates within their facilities to allow free exit and entry for container laden trucks.

Thompson maintained that most of the concessionaires, especially at Tin Can Island Containers Terminal (TICT) and APMT have about multiple gates each but only three are accessible.

He alleged that officials of the facilities are taking undue advantage of the closed gates to extort truckers, adding that some of the gates can be accessed only when monies exchange hands.

“There is no sincerity of purpose from the government agencies operating at the ports because whatever idea you sell to them, they will decline to buy it” Thompson posited.

According to him, stakeholders and government agencies can solve the issue of gridlock along the corridors within 48 hours, but lamented insincerity is the bane of such feat.

On his part, a chieftain of RTEAN, Comrade Ifeanyi Ekwunife opined that the major problem has to do with who should lead the amalgamation.

According to him, “I believe the problem has to do with who should lead the amalgamation. Maybe RTEAN or NARTO feel they should be in the forefront of championing the amalgamation rather than playing the second fiddle, he added, saying that “maybe they feel they are not well carried along.”

Ekwunife called on the group to revisit the three associations in mapping out plans on how to cushion the effect faced by the operators along the port access roads.

But, reacting on the allegations leveled against some of the trucking association, Vice Chairman, Lagos State Dry Cargo Section of NARTO, Alhaji Abdullahi Inuwa Mohammed maintained that “NARTO as a reputable organization will always protect the interest of all commercial truck owners in Nigeria, and indeed the 36 states.”

According to him, NARTO is mindful of the fact that transportation of goods and services thrive in the country, adding that the association was aware of the existence of the amalgamation of truck owners.

However, he argued that the new group of truckers, have the mindset of extorting operators in the haulage sub sector.