The newly-formed amalgamated group for truckers; National Association of Maritime Transport Operators (NAMTOP) has described the allegation leveled against the Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos state; Mr. Cornelius A Ojelabi by the Council of Maritime Transport Union and Associations (COMTUA) as cheap blackmail.
In a letter sent to the LagosSstate Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo Olu and signed by Mohammed Sani on behalf of the NAMTOP; the truckers described the allegation as false and well-crafted rancorous fabricated defamatory propaganda employed by a professional blackmailer to arm-twist anyone that is opposed to his exploitative and domineering tendencies in the maritime transport industry.
The NAMTOP elders, in the letter asserted that Mr.Cornelius Ojelabi was not present when Lagos State Government directed truckers to come under one unified body, even as they affirmed that the APC Chairman did not participate or sign the communique that formed the National Association of Maritime Transport Operators NAMTOP on January 30, 2023 at Alausa secretariat in Ikeja. Neither did he announce the annulment of the purported kangaroo election result that produced a fake NAMTOP chairman in the election that was said to have been organized by COMTUA at Alausa Secretariat.
The letter reads: “The attention of the Maritime Trucking Elders has been drawn to a false and malicious write up aimed at tarnishing the image of the Lagos State APC Chairman, respectable Pastor Cornelius A Ojelabi.
“The allegation that Mr. Cornelius A Ojelabi is causing disunity among Truckers is a false, well-crafted and rancorous fabricated defamatory propaganda acrobatically employed by the professional blackmailer to arm twist anyone that is opposed to his exploitative and domeering tendencies in the Maritime Transport industry.
“Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi wasn’t present when Lagos State Government directed Truckers to come under one unified body. He didn’t participate or sign the communique that formed the National Association of Maritime Transport Operators NAMTOP in January 30, 2023 at Alausa. Neither did he announce the annulment of the purported Kangaroo election result that produced a fake NAMTOP chairman in the election that was said to be organized by COMTUA at Alausa Secretariat.
“The only time Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi met with Truckers was around March 2023 when they wrote and went to him seeking his kind intervention towards addressing the menace of Area Boys that are terrorizing, devouring the proceeds of Maritime Truckers and the high-handedness of the State Traffic agencies in the State.
“The Pastor empathized with Truckers on the challenges they are through in the hands of Area Boys consequent upon which he organized a meeting between Truckers and the Senator representing Lagos West Mrs.Idiat Adebule, the Deputy Governor of Lagos, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, GM LASTMA, The Oniba of Iba Land and Alhaji Akinsanya Musiliu Mc Oluomo, etc to look into the complaints of Truckers on Area Boys and high-handedness of the State Traffic agencies with a view of finding a lasting solutions.
“At the end of the meeting it was concluded that the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation should fast track the process of unifying the Truckers under one unified body that would collaborate with Lagos State Government to address the problem of Area Boys through the Government proposed Policy on Ease of Doing Transportation Business in Lagos State
“For a serial blackmailer to now accuse Mr. Cornelius Ojelabi, a man with good intention of assisting the Truckers to overcome their challenges in Lagos State is very saddening.
“The shame and pain of the blackmailer’s failed leadership coup against Truckers at Alausa shouldn’t translate into gymnastic transfer of aggression on innocent people, especially on the person of respected Party Chairman.
“It is on this note we are calling on members of the public to disregard the calumny of a blackmailer intended to damage the reputation of Chief Cornelius Ojelabi.
“No amount of toxic blackmailing and malicious propaganda would change the position of notable Maritime Elders and majority of Truckers on the executive structure of NAMTOP to suit the domineering and exploitative taste of a hubristic serial blackmailer, disrespectful of trucking elders, authorities and stakeholders within and outside the maritime transport industry.
The group also expressed appreciation to the Lagos State Government for addressing the various challenges in the transportation sector in the state and for reforming trucking business.
“We appreciate the Lagos State Government for proposing the Ease of Doing Transportation Business Policy in Lagos State to address the myriad of challenges maritime transport operators are facing which we are ever ready for its implementation in collaboration with the Lagos State Government”, the letter reads.
