The National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has taken the APM terminal in Apapa to cleaners over what it described as inefficiency and lack good management, even as the association accused the terminal operator of inadequate equipment.
In an exclusive chat with Shipping Position Daily during the week in Lagos, the Deputy state Chairman of NARTO, Kayode Odunowo, said that if the terminal didn’t do anything to improve on its services, the association will withdraw truckers from patronising the terminal.
Mr. Odunowo also said that the planned increase on trucks rate that was billed to start of the first of April is yet to be implemented as the associations and others are still working on the logistics, but he added that the increase will certainly be implemented before the end of the month.
In his words he said: “Although the extortion by some government agencies in the ports as we complained earlier are still there but we could not start the implementation of the increase in freight because of some logistics issues we still have to shift it till the final touches is given to it. One of the major problems we have in this port is bad road the whole Apapa link roads are bad and we have not yet entered the raining season. And it will be worse if we enter the raining season. We are therefore calling on the government to come to our rescue. Even if it is palliative measures, let them do it some that our truck will not be falling off”
“I also want to use this opportunity to call on the government to look into the activities APMT, they are not functioning well, and their operations are very bad. We gave them 14 days ultimatum that we are going to stop patronising their terminal if they do not stop the way they are treating us. NPA cannot even talk to them; we have written so many letters concerning them that the NPA didn’t do anything about”.
Stressing the association’s grouse with APM Terminal, he stated further that, “we gave all the government agencies working in the terminal ultimatum about the way they treat truckers and the Police and the Shippers Council have intervened based on the ultimatum, but APMT have not called us or have shown any concern, they have been so adamant about that”.
“Even the Shippers Council asked if APMT has called us and I told them that they have not called us. At the end of the 14 days, we will call a general meeting and know the way forward. APMT lacks good management. In other terminals, you cannot see their trucks outside but for weeks now there have been empty containers everywhere in Apapa blocking the whole road because of APMT. Are they the only terminal we have in Apapa” he concluded.
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