The Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) has condemned the manual call-up system recently introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for trucks seeking access into the Lagos ports.
The association has alleged that the system has further given impetus to security agencies including the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Civil Defense Corps and the NPA Security operatives to extort truck drivers and perpetuate different acts of corruption.
Speaking exclusively with Shipping Position Daily last week, Vice President of ANLCA, Dr. Kayode Farinto explained that the association is writing to the commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, Rear Admiral Okon Eyo for him to call his men to order.
He said the association has equally made a lot of representation to the Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman on the activities of its security officials and the Navy who constantly collect money from truck drivers before allowing them access into the ports.
Farinto described the manual call-up system as a corrupt system, which he said must be scrapped and replaced with a sustainable electronic call-up system.
He alleged that the security agencies usually demand between N100,000 to 120,000 before passing a truck into the port.
He alleged that the extortion is being perpetuated around the Marine Beach Bridge, down the bridge by Ijora bus stop and Mile 2 bus stop along Apapa-Oshodi expressway.
According to him, "some of the drivers were paying this money out of frustration, it is not everything that is a bribe, if you don't pay them, your truck may not be able to access the port, there are lots of agencies involved; the Navy, NPA Security, now the Civil Defence have joined them again"
"They are forming another cartel in that place, and once you don't give them that money, your truck would not be able to access the port, I pity the transporters and what they go through on daily basis, if you go to the bridge at night you would see a lot of things, it is a market on its own, they have formed makeshifts there, small camps, at night it is another world, you see pepper soup sellers and beer sellers", he alleged.
Speaking further, he said that "Manual call up system is not the solution, the solution is electronic call up system that would be able to admit my TDO (Terminal Delivery Order), the way it was demonstrated, if your truck is actually registered and imputed into the system, the moment you approach the gate it gives you green light, if you are not supposed to be there it gives red light and you are removed off the track"
"But this so called manual system is a corrupt system and I don't know why it is being encouraged up till now."
"We have made a lot of representation to the MD of NPA, the woman is just being overwhelmed, or maybe it is because of the election, because she is seriously involved in the election now, if not, the manual call up system is even worst", he said.
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