Truck owners under the aegis of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMARTO) have issued a two weeks ultimatum to the Federal Government to fix bad portions of the roads leading to the Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port.
Failure to comply with this demand, the association says it would withdraw its services on September 26th 2016.
In a notice of withdrawal written to the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); Ms Hadiza Bala Usman dated 15th September 2016 and signed by AMARTO Chairman, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, a copy of which was sent to Shipping Position Daily, the association lamented that due to the deplorable state of the roads, many of its members’ trucks fall daily with millions worth of cargoes on them.
The association pointed out that the deplorable condition of the ports’ access roads has made it imperative that no loaded or empty trucks could pass through it without falling.
"If nothing significant is done to fix the roads on or before 26th of September 2016, we shall withdraw the services of our trucks both from Tin Can and Apapa Ports" he said
He further lamented that due to the deplorable state of the access roads around Tin Can and Apapa Ports; trucks have been falling and damaging their essential components including axles, hubs, chassis and cabin on daily basis. He said the situation is gradually liquidating truck businesses in the maritime industry.
"In view of the dwindling price of crude oil being the nations' major source of revenue, we opined that ports should be another survival hub by which the nation could get out of the present recession"
"We believe that the roads leading to the gateway of the nation's economy supposed to be one of the best in the country. It is inexplicable that the roads leading to Apapa and Tin Can ports is being neglected for so long"
"It should have been appropriate for agency concerned to pay crucial attention to the port roads by embarking on total rehabilitation" he said.
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