Truck drivers operating at the Apapa and Tin-Can ports on Thursday went on strike over allegations of extortion and brutality by security personnel controlling the traffic in the port area.
The strike action, if not put to an end, can lead to congestion in the two Lagos ports based on the fact that over 95 percent of cargoes in the ports are being evacuated by road.
Remi Ogungbemi, president, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), said individual truck owners and drivers who were tired of the situation under which they operate embarked on the strike action.
According to Ogungbemi, the situation is getting chaotic despite government intervention and introduction of call-up system. “It has not been announced officially but truck drivers have down tool on individual basis but in the next 48 hours, there will be an announcement and we want to inform authority before going on strike.
“The drivers are not only protesting because of extortion but because of brutality including beating of drivers, smashing of wind screens, breaking lights, among others,” Ogungbemi said.
However, sources at various terminals in the ports have called on government to resolve the impasse because it may lead to congestion at the seaside of the port.
Recall that government officials – Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA), who are managing the traffic situation through a call-up card system, have been accused of massive extortion of hapless truck drivers.
The traffic management system, which is being coordinated by the Nigerian Navy through a call-up card system introduced in March 22, to stem the perennial traffic lockdown at Apapa port, has been a huge success since its introduction as it has restored sanity to the Apapa port access road.
However, the system is currently enmeshed in controversy over truck owners, drivers and Customs, who have unanimously accused these traffic officials of subjecting truck drivers to horrendous objects of ‘money-making machine’ through unabashed extortion.
Ibrahim Tanko, vice-president, Seaport (Western Zone) of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), accused the naval officials in the traffic management system of collecting N70,000 on 40-foot container and N40,000 on 20-foot container.
He alleged that naval officers collude with other officials to collect this un-receipted money from truck drivers before they could be issued call-up card to access the port.
“If any driver refuses to pay, he would stay in queue till eternity, and because these drivers want to enter the port to get job, they will be forced to pay,” he said.
Joe Sanni, national publicity secretary, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANCLA), corroborated the claims, which he described as unfortunate.
“We don’t even know that the money they collect has increased to N70,000 and N40,000, it used to be between N30,000 and N40,000,” he said.
He however blamed the truck drivers of being the ones inducing both the Naval and NPA officials in a bid to enter the port with their empty containers and load other ones.
Reacting to this, Isah Suwaid, assistant general manager, corporate and strategic communication of NPA, said the Apapa and Tin-can ports management of NPA were aware of the threat and the NPA management was engaging with them.
He assured that the NPA management was ready to deal with any staff of the authority found to have been involved in bribery allegation.
