·Eto call up now N21,750
Joshua Yousouph
Findings by our correspondent have revealed how touts and miscreants on highways beat up and extort truck drivers at various illegally-mounted checkpoints along the corridors of the Lagos ports. This is even as truckers allege that they part with more than N40, 000 cumulatively at these checkpoints before they gain entrance into the ports.
One of our correspondents who went on a fact-finding mission along the port corridors discovered that there are about 10 checkpoints between Ijora and Apapa port, and more than 20 between Mile 2 and Tin Can port.
According to our correspondents, these checkpoints are manned by some state actors such as officials of the Nigerian Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Customs, and non-state actors- pseudo union officials and touts. They collaborate to extort money from truckers.
One of our correspondents observed that between N2000 to N5000 are collected at each checkpoint from the truckers as they progress in their journey to the ports.
During a visit to two approved truck garages in Lagos last week, truck drivers recounted their ordeal in the hands of the extortionists. Some showed our correspondent several scars and marks on their bodies that were inflicted on them during physical assaults by miscreants popularly called “Area boys” and “Agberos”. There were sights of broken patches of truck bonnets, windscreens, and side mirrors allegedly vandalized by these miscreants who demand money from truckers with great force and coercion.
Along Mile 2 to Tin Can port road, our correspondent witnessed an assembly of these touts in their numbers holding long plastic poles, hitting and beating-up a truck driver who refused to stop to give them money. Some were already trying to remove the side mirrors of the truck while trying to force the door open.
Speaking with our correspondent, a truck driver who identified himself as Mr. Kasali said they pay between N40,000 and N80,000 depending on how they negotiate or how willing they are to remove their clothes and go naked to fight. He said, “From Ijora to Apapa we have about 8 to 13 checkpoints and we pay N2000, N5000, or N10,000 at these checkpoints”.
It was also gathered that there are about eight checkpoints along Tin Can to Apapa where a sum of N20,000 from each checkpoint is allegedly remitted on daily basis to an official of the Lagos state government (name withheld).
Investigations also show that an additional eight extortion points have been created along the Amuwo-Odofin area which is supervised by another union leader (identity withheld) who forcefully demand money from truckers who are not members of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN).
Our correspondent also uncovered disparities in charges paid for the electronic call-up system of the Truck Transit Park limited.
Recall that, the Chief Operating Officer of Messrs. Truck Transit Park (TTP), operators of the electronic Call-Up system, Mr. Temidayo Adeboye had earlier told Shipping Position Daily that the approved standard charges on the Eto platform are between N10,000 and N15,000, while port concessionaires that have their parks are charged N5,000. He alleged that Truckers only pay more than this, when they are being charged by a third party but not directly on the Eto platform.
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However, checks by one of our correspondents showed that truckers currently make a ‘pay-as-you-go’ payment of N21,750 on the official Eto platform with evidence of receipts. This charge is for flatbed, empty, and export containers. Sources also revealed that these charges are not fixed as they sometimes pay as high as N31, 000.
It was also gathered from a source that the management of TTP sent a circular recently that the charges for empty containers have been reduced to N15,500.
In a chat with the National President, Council of Maritime Transport Union and Association (COMTUA), Mr. Adeyinka Aroyewun, he alleged that the Nigerian Army personnel in connivance with TTP and NPA have been circumventing the electronic call-up process as they are being given priority to move their trucks. He noted that the military moves 1,000 empty containers per month at the rate of N300,000 each.
“They do private business now. A lot of private businessmen now paint their trucks to the colour of the Nigerian Army under the coverage of the Nigeria Army to be doing private jobs. They move 1,000 empty containers per month at the rate of 300,000 each” Aroyewun alleged.
On his part, a truck owner who identified himself as Mr. Dike Collins also alleged that the military has dominated haulage business and taken over their jobs. He noted that the military trucks spend just three to six hours getting into the port while regular truckers remain in long queues for weeks.
In his words: “The Nigerian Army is buying trucks every day. They follow one-way and the government doesn’t do anything. They have taken over our job. Bookings that take us just three to five days will take them three to six hours. They give them that software priority. We will load our jobs and stay in long queues but the Nigerian Military will come and pass everybody and if you talk, they will tell you they are carrying Boko haram equipment. Eto and NPA are assisting them. Their trucks are parked one-way. But my truck works once every two weeks” Dike lamented.
The trucker also noted that the two approved Pre-gate for Tin Can Island Port (TCIP), ‘Sodiq garage’ and ‘NAPL’ are totally off the road to the port. Sodik garage which is situated along Kirikiri Prison Area and NAPL which belongs to the Nigerian Army and compulsory pre gate locations where all trucks going into TCIP must visit before gaining access into the port.
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