The Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, has commenced the process of checkmating the activities of security and traffi c offi cials operating at the seaports in Lagos over increasing cases of extortion by truck drivers. This is sequel to constituting a standing intervention committee made up of stakeholders and charged with the responsibility of handling cases of allegations of extortion by the truck drivers.
General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Captain Iheanocho Ebubeogu, who spoke at the weekend, said that the constitution of the standing committee had become necessary and urgent following increasing cases of allegations of extortion levelled against security and traffic operatives by truck drivers. According to him constitution of the committee was at the instance of the the management of the Western Ports unit of NPA. Headed by the General Manager in charge of the Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi, the committee is primarily set up to address the fears raised by the various trucking unions on the alleged increasing cases of extortion along most of the port access roads within the Lagos ports corridor. It was also gathered that the membership of the committee is drawn from NPA-accredited truckers unions, fleet operators, andsecurity and traffic agencies.
Some of the trucking unions represented on the standing committee include Association of Maritime Transport Owners AMARTO, Joint Council of Seaport Truck Operators JACOST, National Association of Road Transport Owners NARTO, Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria RTEAN, and Truck Drivers Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, among others. Meanwhile while commenting on the committee, Chief Ajayi also disclosed that the management of the Western Ports, which controls the seaports and jetties in Lagos has been innundated with reports and complaints about such extortions by some operatives.
He said: “The setting up of this ccommittee had become necessary following repeated complaints by truck drivers over allegedextortion by ssecurity ooperatives, especially at the gates of the seaports in Lagos. He however warned that the ccommittee would stop at nothing in investigating all such allegations with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also assured that the ccommittee is determined to report any erring ssecurity operative to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for necessary actions.
Truck drivers operating at the nation’s seaports in Lagos have over the years been complaining about extortion by the security agencies at the ports. The truckers, who attributed the worsening extortions to the perennial gridlocks on most ports access roads in Apapa, said that this ugly development has made loading consignments at the Lagos Ports a nightmare for both drivers and transport agents. Chairman of AMARTO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, who confi rmed this ugly development, said there are extortions of very high magnitude by security and traffi c operatives. “Many of these security and traffi c offi cials you fi nd on port access roads and gates are there because of the money they extort from truck drivers”, he lamented. He also disclosed that coupled with this high magnitude of extotion is the deliberate and wanton destruction of side mirrors and other fi ttings by some of these security agencies
General Manager, Public Affairs of NPA, Captain Iheanocho Ebubeogu, who spoke at the weekend, said that the constitution of the standing committee had become necessary and urgent following increasing cases of allegations of extortion levelled against security and traffic operatives by truck drivers. According to him constitution of the committee was at the instance of the the management of the Western Ports unit of NPA. Headed by the General Manager in charge of the Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi, the committee is primarily set up to address the fears raised by the various trucking unions on the alleged increasing cases of extortion along most of the port access roads within the Lagos ports corridor. It was also gathered that the membership of the committee is drawn from NPA-accredited truckers unions, fleet operators, andsecurity and traffic agencies.
Some of the trucking unions represented on the standing committee include Association of Maritime Transport Owners AMARTO, Joint Council of Seaport Truck Operators JACOST, National Association of Road Transport Owners NARTO, Road Transport Employees Association of Nigeria RTEAN, and Truck Drivers Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria MWUN, among others. Meanwhile while commenting on the committee, Chief Ajayi also disclosed that the management of the Western Ports, which controls the seaports and jetties in Lagos has been innundated with reports and complaints about such extortions by some operatives.
He said: “The setting up of this ccommittee had become necessary following repeated complaints by truck drivers over allegedextortion by ssecurity ooperatives, especially at the gates of the seaports in Lagos. He however warned that the ccommittee would stop at nothing in investigating all such allegations with a view to bringing the perpetrators to justice. He also assured that the ccommittee is determined to report any erring ssecurity operative to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for necessary actions.
Truck drivers operating at the nation’s seaports in Lagos have over the years been complaining about extortion by the security agencies at the ports. The truckers, who attributed the worsening extortions to the perennial gridlocks on most ports access roads in Apapa, said that this ugly development has made loading consignments at the Lagos Ports a nightmare for both drivers and transport agents. Chairman of AMARTO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, who confi rmed this ugly development, said there are extortions of very high magnitude by security and traffi c operatives. “Many of these security and traffi c offi cials you fi nd on port access roads and gates are there because of the money they extort from truck drivers”, he lamented. He also disclosed that coupled with this high magnitude of extotion is the deliberate and wanton destruction of side mirrors and other fi ttings by some of these security agencies
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