The General Manager Western Ports of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Chief Michael Ajayi has disclosed that the authority has so far registered 1,500 trucks in its on-going registration and enforcement of minimum standardization for trucks.
The NPA Western Port General Manager has also advised clearing and forwarding agents to ensure they patronize only trucks that have been certified okay and carrying NPA stickers.
Chief Ajayi stated this in Lagos yesterday when he led top management staff of Western Ports on separate visits to the national secretariats of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in Amuwo Odofin and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in Apapa.
Ajayi said that the Managing Director of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi has declared 2016 as accident-free year and that all rickety trucks must be removed from the roads. He said government is worried that several lives and properties have been lost due to rickety trucks plying the roads.
“To end the ugly trend, as we traverse year 2016, the MD of NPA, Mallam Habib Abdullahi has given a matching order that we should take all steps to ensure an accident-free 2016”
“In carrying out this directive, we have come out with action plan of certification of all trucks inside the port which commenced on February 1st 2016, so far we have registered 1,500 trucks”
“We employ you to tell all your members not to patronize any truck without NPA sticker because such trucks have not passed through our road worthiness certification test, with effect from 1st March 2016, all trucks without NPA sticker will not be allowed into the port, trucks that have complied will be posted on NPA portal in order to advice Terminal operators and agents” he said.
He assured that the Western Port under his watch is responsive and that the infamous Apapa gridlock is ebbing away gradually, he said this has led to the realization of smooth access to the port. He also assured that construction of the popular Wharf Road by Dangote Construction Company will soon take-off in partnership with the NPA.
“The basic entrances to Apapa is now clear and that is part of our effort at ensuring that all the roads are free, the wharf road from the foot bridge near Leventis will be constructed by Messers Dangote, it will be done with concrete because of the heavy duty trucks, it will be done in 12weeks with the latest equipment” Ajayi assured.
In his response, ANLCA President, Prince Olayiwola Shittu assured that the association will partner with NPA in ridding the ports of rickety trucks. He assured that if NPA can achieve success in the Western Ports, all other ports are controllable.
The ANLCA President stressed the need for NPA to revisit the process of issuing of port passes, saying that the process have been hijacked by people without licenses in connivance with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
He claimed that ANLCA controls 1, 748 licenses, arguing that it is only registered and licensed people that should be allowed into the port. Shittu further blamed the crowd inside the port on an alleged connivance between NPA and the Council for the Regulation of Freight forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
“You find every Tom, Dick and Harry on the register of CRFFN today, about 6000 persons, and when they hold your port pass they can now go inside the port everyday, sIt down under the trees, read newspapers and go home”
He told his guest that: “Nigeria Customs, since 1954 issued 4,500 licenses, out of this 2,300 died either intentionally or for illegalities, out of the remaining balance, ANLCA has verifiable membership of 1, 748, we guide them jealously. The balance are operated by uniformed men, and few companies with self-clearance”
Shittu also called on Chief Ajayi to look into the extortion of truck drivers by the NPA security officials, saying that this is adding to the cost of clearing which agents are made to bear.
The Chairmen of the associations at chapter levels however took turns to plead with the NPA to provide a space for ANLCA inside the port for construction of the association’s secretariats.
At the NAGAFF secretariat, its National President, Chief Eugene Nweke commended Chief Ajayi, saying that the NPA has finally woken up from its slumbers. He however called on the management to introduce standard charges that must be collected by truckers, saying that these variations add to the cost of cargo clearance.
Eugene also called for the review of the port concession agreement with terminal operators, noting that many of the concessionaires collect money for services not rendered.
The NAGAFF President also pointed out the need for his association to be on the committee recently set up by NPA to investigate extortion at the port gates. He noted that “we are the ones that cough out this money and as such we must be on that committee”
“We appreciate the fact that in the past one month, NPA has woken up to its responsibilities, we commend Chief Ajayi, they have gone back to the drawing board” he said.
Members of NAGAFF however took turns to lament extortion by port police officers at port entrances, as well as NPA security officers. They equally called on the NPA to regularize the issuance of port passes to freight forwarders, arguing that “we are professionals and we should be treated as such by NPA staff”.
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