A group operating in the maritime sector said they had spent over N4 million to assist the government in fixing the bad seaports access roads within the Tincan and Apapa axis.
The group claimed that money spent which was a contribution from its members, was used to provide palliative measures to the bad roads after government failed to yield to their calls despite generating billions from containerized cargoes plying the the bad roads from the seaports.
The group, Joint Council of Seaport Truckers Operators (JCOSTO), disclosed this in a round table discussion at the press centre of Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON). The group which was represented by the president and secretary-general, Alhaji Kayode Odunowo, and Chief Godwin Ikeji, respectively, opined that they took the decision to carry out the temporary measure on the bad roads because members have lost their trucks to the bad roads after falling severally with containers.
They maintained that despite government’s lackadaisical attitude to their plights, government agencies working along and within the seaports still extort them on a daily bases. They complained that the extortions continued unabated despite complaining to government on several occasions.
Odunowo then disclosed that they had decided to take the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to court over the alleged extortion. “Any moment from now we will be in court with the NPA over issue of sticker permit and obnoxious levies and fines by FRSC“ Alhaji Odunowo disclosed.
They said NPA will be joined in the sue because of the shadiness discovered in the 2016 sticker permit on truck standardisation issued by NPA to every truck plying the ports at N10,000 each.
Alhaji Odumowo said it was illegal, saying the group is set to challenge NPA in court as the withdrawal of service by clearing agents and other stakeholders continue at the nation’s seaports, Odunowo disclosed that the matter is already with the Federal High Court and the case would likely comeup for mentioning soon.
According to him, the regulatory agencies have contributed negatively to truckers operations , stressing the need for government to reduce the number of agencies on the roads.The truck owner however stated that apart from the Nigeria Airforce every other paramilitary agencies of government including the Nigeria Navy, Army, Police, etc have allegedly extorted transporters operating within the seaports
Speaking on some of the challenges faced by transporters operating within the ports corridors, Chief Godwin Ikeji, the secretary of the group said that it takes five days for a truck to access the seaport in Lagos,pointing out that the roads linking the ports are in deplorable condition.
The chairman however accused truck owners in the dry cargo section of haulage business due to lack of co-ordination in their operations.He commended operators in the wet cargo section for a better coordinated operations in the oil and gas industry urging maritime truck owners to work together in achieving success in the business environment.
On the ongoing service withdrawal by transporters and freight agents across the country, the council lamented that their group was not carried along and the organizer did not adequately mobilise all the stakeholders.He explained that the moves and ideas on the action was commendable but they have no role to play in the ongoing strike
”We are not part of the strike but we are interested in what brought about it. We have documents to show that we have written to the government concerning the bad condition of the ports access roads” he said.
Odunowo however appealed to the government to expedite action to fix the bad roads saying it would help to forestall incessant falling of trucks along the port roads as well as help to cushion the effect on the trucks.
He said,We want government to repair the ports access roads, we have been calling on the government to try their best as our truck with containers are falling down every day and that mean loss of business for the truck owners.
If the roads are in good condition, it will be easy for the trucks to move the goods faster and do about three trips in a day, he added.