The Port Manager of Lagos Port Complex, Apapa, Mrs Fumilayo Olotu, has defended the Nigerian Ports Authorities, stressing that the agency was not responsible for any extortion of truck drivers.
She said this at a Webinar with the theme ‘Identifying and Building Alliances with Western Port Users on Cargo & Vessel Transactions’ held Thursday.
Olotu’s defense of NPA stemmed from a comment from a stakeholder, Emmaunel Osho, who complained of extortion of truckers. He said that accessing the port was a herculean task.
Olotu in her response said that the comment was misplaced.
She said, “I make bold to say, you cannot accuse any NPA personnel of collecting money from you to access the ports.
“We are not charging a dime for any truck in Lilypond neither are we charging a dime for you to move from Lilypond into the ports.
“The only thing NPA is saying is this: we will not admit you into Lilypond if you have not met the minimum safety standard requirements of the Nigerian Port Authority.
“What do we mean by that? The truck must be duly registered by the Federal Road Safety Corps and it must be certified to be in good condition. You are all aware of containers falling off trucks. Your cargo must be properly secured.”
The Port Manager blamed truckers for causing the congestion at the ports.
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