Following the last meeting held in November 2012 between officials Nigerian Ports Authority [NPA] and representatives of the transport unions in seaports the western operational area on the new guidelines for admitting trucks into the ports, the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers has opposed the guidelines, saying that truck owners are already about 80% compliant.
Following the last meeting held in November 2012 between officials Nigerian Ports Authority [NPA] and representatives of the transport unions in seaports the western operational area on the new guidelines for admitting trucks into the ports, the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers has opposed the guidelines, saying that truck owners are already about 80% compliant.
In a letter signed by the JCOST chairman; Alhaji Kayode Odunowo and the secretary; Mr. Godwin Ikeji and which was sighted by Shipping Position Daily last week, the truck owners dissociated themselves from the guidelines, which they stated might lead to further impoverishment of members.
JCOST decried the agencies responsible for decongesting the port access roads as the bane of the smooth flow of vehicles in and out of the ports and have incessantly militated against their business in port operation.
The group also said that there was no conclusion reached with the NPA on the guideline for admitting trucks into the ports in Lagos.
The letter, addressed to the General Manager, NPA, Western port, Apapa dated and April 8th 2013 reads in part; ‘’ with reference to your letter dated 28th of March 2013, reference No. AGM/STY/WP/04/G/0160,where you stated that agreement was reached between us on Thursday 22nd November ,2012 ,on five points guidelines for admitting trucks into the ports’’
‘’We observed that with utmost dismay the whole content of the letter because there was no time we agreed on the points mentioned in the medium expect on the minimum standard issue, which our members are already implementing even up to 80% compliance ‘’
‘’In our belief and argument that understanding resulting from our two parties shall be duly signed document in a standard format especially with the magnitude of your proposal by the parties concerned’’
‘’JCOST and the federation bodies at its delegates meeting of 28/03/13 disassociate themselves and object to guidelines that might lead to further impoverishment of its members as contained in the proposal’’
‘’We look forward to more environmentally-friendly policies that would not legitimise the ongoing suspected corruption in the industry in the name of various access road congestion bodies such as was in LAPARC and LAPAMU and other constituted taskforce in the past . These only succeed in impoverishing truckers and killing the business’’, the letter read.
However the five points guidelines for admitting trucks into the ports which was also obtained by our correspondent, signed by the assistant general manager western ports headquarter, NPA on behalf of the general manager, western port Mr. S.O Asamaige, on the 28th March 2013 states that every truck entering the ports to load cargo must be registered under a transport and haulage company and each company must have a minimum of 50 trucks in its fleet.
“Also, each company must be identified with a unique color for their trucks [colour coding] and the trucks must comply with the specific minimum standards for admitting trucks into the ports “.
Furthermore the statement added that provision of drivers and their mates with uniforms by the transport companies and issuance of electronic vehicle stickers by the Nigerian Ports Authority after payment of N10, 000.
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