Chief Austen Kelly is currently the Chairman of Special Task Force Zone 2 of the Federal Roads Committee on Surveillance and Action Against Roads Abuse (FERCSARA). He is a frontline freight forwarder and one of the founding fathers of the National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA). In this interview with Shipping Position Daily Correspondent Dapo Olawuni, he opened up on the operations of the FERCSARA. Chief Kelly also proffered solution to the crisis that has bedeviled the NCMDLCA.
What is FERCSARA all about, and what is the essence of the sensitization that you are embarking upon?
The essence of our sensitization is to enjoin the general public to be aware that the Federal Roads Committee on Surveillance and Action against Road Abuse (FERCSARA) has assumed actions; we are now trying to reduce the gridlock so that we can have free flow of traffic on all our Federal roads including Apapa access areas. We want to tell the people that enough is enough and that we are prepared to fight that gridlock, we are sensitizing them now to understand that there is every need for voluntary compliance in obeying traffic rules and regulations which is very good than forcing them, we don't want to force anybody to obey common laws.
What is the penalty for those who fail to comply?
After all these campaign exercises we have embarked upon we cannot continue talking, if they refuse to obey common traffic rules and laws as we are telling them, we will impound their vehicles and whatever fine is imposed on them they will pay, but for now we are not impounding vehicles, what we are doing is to solicit and appeal to them so that they can obey simple laws.
I foresee trouble because truck drivers will tell you that there is no holding bay
Already, there are series of meetings taking place now where we are trying to create holding bays for both petrol tankers and trucks laden with containers, we are having such plans and we are doing something about it, we have acquired about 42 square meters of terminals where we are trying to divide into all the shipping companies so that they can go there and be parking their empty containers, there is equally a call up system being put in place, when this comes up, all the trucks are expected to park at the holding bay, when they are asked to come to the port, the call-up system will be used to call them to the port.
This holding bay, is it the same one at Tin Can 2nd gate?
No. This particular one is owned by private companies, the MoU have not been signed, once it is put in place through the Nigeria Shippers’ Council, then it becomes effective, we are working on the modality, you know that for now, government has not come with a blueprint about the money to be imposed on the trucks for them to be paying, but once the people can cooperate, all the traffic gridlock will become history. We have one of the holding bays at Coker bus stop, the other one is at Oshodi-Apapa expressway. The Oshodi-Apapa expressway is about 20,000 square meters, while that of Coker bus stop is 22,000 meters fully computerized, we are working on them, and primarily they are in the position to take about 4000 empty containers, by doing so I think we can ameliorate the problem.
Already, we have the LASTMA, with FERCSARA will there not be collision?
I don't see any collision in what we are doing, LASTMA has their own work that they do and we have our own laws that set us up, we are not in anyway contradicting LASTMA, they are for purely traffic but we are telling you that as far as we are concerned they are doing their job within Lagos state level, they are not participating actively on anything that concerns Federal roads, they are just maintaining skeletal services, I have not seen any LASTMA officer going to the port gate trying to organize traffic, apart from this we are working together, we have that mutual understanding to work together, all of us are on national assignment.
What is your relationship with AMARTO and NARTO?
All of us are working together, we have AMATO, RTEAN, and NARTO, they have all sent permanent representatives in form of task force to beef up our own task force, so when the truckers see them with us their mind will come down because they believe all of us are working together, all the trucks you are seeing now are obeying voluntarily, we have navy working with us and the army, the military are principal stakeholders of FERCSARA but then it is not yet time for action.
Truck drivers are of the opinion that FERCSARA will add to the extortion at the port
Part of what we have been campaigning is "Say No To Security Extortion"; say no to extorting money from trucks at port gates, this is what we cannot tolerate, immediately we get you, we will first of all dismiss you, this is part of what we are against, we don't tolerate corruption.
We have had bodies constituted like this in the past by FERMA, is FERCSARA a temporary body also?
If you talk about FERCSARA, it is packaged by FERMA, the presidency is in support of what we are doing, we are not stakeholders bringing people together, what we are doing is purely government.
What is the role of the Shippers Council in all of this?
Shippers Council has been made the regulator of the port and there is every need for them to have enforcement arm, this is why they have beckoned on us to team up with them and become their enforcement arm and also ensure that there is smooth flow of traffic in all port access roads. We are collaborating with the Council
Which faction of the NCMDLCA do you belong to?
I am a chieftain of ANLCA, I was the national chairman, ethics, complaints and discipline for 13 years, I am also a member of BoT of NAGAFF, the National Council of Managing Directors was established by my humble self in my office in 1996, after this, we all decided to go back to ANLCA being the umbrella body. It was due to seizing of our licenses under Abacha regime that led to the formation of NCMDLCA, but after we got our licenses back we went back to ANLCA, but Lucky held on to the association because he was dismissed from ANLCA as the PRO. But personally, I don't see anything wrong in it so I gave him backup, but he went ahead and ruled it for 13 years, and when he started disrupting government activities and constituted authorities, we the founding members were called back, myself being the founding father, Dr. Aniebonam of NAGAFF among others, we put our heads together and said enough is enough, from there we asked Lucky to go because he has refused to democratise the association. We appointed Obieze to replace Lucky, and when Obieze started misbehaving again within the first six months, we equally showed him the way out and we brought in the present man, Festus Ejiorfor.
But Ejiofor has equally ruled for four years now.
Yes, we are aware, but anytime we ask him to conduct an election he will tell you they are in court and you find out that Lucky is still going about answering president, likewise Ejiofor is answering president, but why we are looking at this for now is because most of us are very busy.
What is the lasting solution to the crisis in the National Council?
Very soon we are going to meet and call for a meeting where everybody including Lucky Amiwero himself will be invited to a round table, let us know the way forward, it is then we can ask both of them to step down and we will have a general election.
What is your opinion of the CRFFN?
It has been politicised, they cannot even regulate well again, it’s going to three years now there has been no board, Mike Jukwe is there now and many people are battling him, including ANLCA and NAGAFF, these two associations form alliance and fought him without anyone on his side.
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