Oluyinka Onigbinde
Truck owners under the aegis of Committee of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA) have called for the scrapping of the enforcement team at the Lagos ports comprising of the Police, LASTMA officials, men from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and NPA security department over failure to discharge their duties.
COMTUA in a press statement issued on Monday by its President, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, called on the Lagos State Governor; Mr. Babajide Sanwo Olu to urgently recall the enforcement team back to the secretariat, even as it alleged that the headship of the enforcement team is extorting truck owners and drivers.
COMTUA also stated that the entire electronic call up system, otherwise called ETO has broken down, and that only the revenue generation and extortion are visible.
The union also stated that the e-call problems have grown from gridlock to loss of job informing that truck owners are now poorer.
COMTUA in the statement, also kicked against payment on non-port access road to ETO at Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) and BRAWAL, and that the movement of trucks from Apapa route to Tin Can is illegal and must stop. It also opposed payment of demurrage while trucks are in the garages, especially when at Lilly pond.
The statement read: “The attention of the COMTUA, comprising of ten federating unions and association, has been drawn to the obnoxious and vexatious activities of the Lagos State Enforcement Team which is a clear breach of their mandate to decongest the Apapa Port area using the ETO Scheme.
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“In fact, and without any doubt, there are multitude of evidences sufficient to cause the eviction of the Head and Members of the enforcement team which has already been provided to the government.
“We can boldly confirm that the entire process of ETO has broken down, to the extent that only the revenue generation and extortion aspect of it is prospering. At this junction, it is pertinent to call on Mr Governor to as a matter of urgency recall the enforcement team back to the Secretariat because they have failed to discharge their duties.
“The problems have grown from gridlock to loss of job. Owners are now poorer and enforcement headship enriching themselves for obvious political gains.
Our Union including the entire Federating Unions and Associations hereby demands as follows:
“The enforcement team has compromised and we reject them, The movement of trucks from Apapa route to Tincan is illegal and must stop now.
“We reject payment on Non-port Access road to ETO. KLT AND BRAWAL cannot be charged. NO payment of demurrage inside garages especially when at Lilly pond”.
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