By Joshua Yousouph
Findings by Shipping Position Daily have revealed deep pessimism and widespread grouse against the imminent rollout of the electronic call up system, expected to commence on March 1 at Lekki Free Trade Zone.
Truckers who spoke to our correspondent last week question the rationale behind the system’s implementation in an area that does not suffer from severe congestion, accusing authorities of exploiting the situation for financial gain, rather than delivering practical benefits.
Shipping Position Daily recalls that the Lagos State Government had said it would begin full enforcement of the e-call-up system, introduced to streamline and regulate truck activities along Lekki-Epe axis of the state on March 1.
Deputy Director, Public Affairs, of the Ministry of Transportation, Mrs Bolanle Ogunlola in a statement last week noted that the technology-driven call-up system had been in the pipeline for over two years in anticipation of large vehicular traffic that would be generated by trucks assessing the Lekki Deep Seaport, Lekki Free Zone, Dangote Refinery and other industries within the axis.
However, a truck owner and member of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) Mr Raji Adesina argued that initiating the e-call up in Lekki is misplaced and not needed, stating that it will add no significant value to truckers at that axis.
Adesina contends that Lekki, unlike congested areas such as Apapa and Tin Can, does not experience the gridlock that supposedly necessitates such a system. He challenges the system’s value, asking, “What advantage is it adding to the truckers?” and accusing the authorities of prioritizing profit over practicality.
In his view, the e-call up appears to be a thinly veiled extortion scheme designed to extract money from truckers without offering support such as funds for repairs or upgrades to those who need it most.
In his words: “I don’t know why they want to start the e- call up at Lekki. Lekki is another area entirely. They should just leave it and let it be running the way they are doing it before. What is the advantage? What value is it adding to the truckers? Who are the people to start the e-call up? Are the people there complaining of congestion? They just want to make money. Everything is about money. So, tankers will be doing e-call up and trucks. Both the wet and dry cargo will be doing e-call up.
“What advantage is it adding to the truckers? Are they borrowing us money from the e-call up to repair our trucks or to get us new ones? They are thieves, they want to extort truckers. It has no value addition. Ask them if there is congestion. It is not like Apapa and Tin Can where there was traffic gridlock. So, what is the essence of the e-call up?
“Everybody is just looking for the opportunity to exploit. So, we are not helping ourselves and we are complaining about our leaders. That is the basic thing. There is no advantage. They should leave everything the way it is” Adesina lamented.
On his part, another truck owner, Mr Kunle Ajayi highlighted the operational differences between Lekki and more congested ports like Apapa and Tin Can. According to him, Lekki’s current system operates smoothly, and imposing an e-Call Up could introduce unnecessary delays.
Ajayi recalled his recent experience at Lekki involving the coordination of container loads, highlighting how an already well-organized system might be further burdened by a process that isn’t designed for areas without severe traffic pressure.
Ajayi’s concerns center on the fear that the new system may not only be redundant, but could also slow down operations by creating bottlenecks where none exist.
“The problem in Apapa is different from the pressure in Lekki. The call up system cannot work in every area like the bottlenecks we have in Apapa are not established yet in Lekki. Some people don’t have trucks at all, but they have to call-up. Lekki does not really have that pressure we face in Apapa and the e-call up may not really work there, because it is well organized” Ajayi said.
Another truck owner who pleaded anonymity further criticized the authorities for failing to engage with the core stakeholders in the trucking business. Unlike previous initiatives where extensive sensitization efforts ensured that truckers were informed and involved, the truck owner noted that the current roll-out appears to be developed without meaningful input from those directly affected.
“They are not carrying the relevant stakeholders along. You cannot be relating with people that don’t own trucks or do the real trucking operations and you say you want to introduce the call-up system and you want it to commence. Before eto commenced, we went to every nook and cranny of the trucking community to sensitize people to let them know what the e-Call up is about and what the economic benefits are and Eto call up became a success story.
“In the case of this Lekki e-call up, we don’t know who they are. We heard that they are holding meetings with stakeholders we don’t know about. We have been watching them. If they want our help, they should come and meet the real truckers”, he said.
——–Traffic Management: Lekki Residents Laud LASG E-Call-Up System——
Meanwhile, Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) has commended the Lagos State Government on the introduction of the e-call-up system for trucks, along the Ibeju-Lekki and Epe axis.
The association said that the initiative took effect from March 1.
Sulyman Bello, President of the LERSA, described the development as a win-win for the Lekki axis and truck operators.
The LERSA is the umbrella body representing the interests of all estates and corporate entities from 1004 estates to Epe.
Bello said that the e-call-up system was a major step forward, in the state’s traffic management.
“We commend the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Seun Osiyemi and the team, for this forward-thinking initiative, aimed at streamlining truck movement and reducing congestion along the Lekki-Epe corridor.
“Last week, following concerns from our community, government swiftly intervened to clear the backlog of trucks along the Ibeju-Lekki and Epe corridor, particularly around the Eleko axis and surrounding areas.
“This proactive approach reinforces the commitment to ensuring a safer environment and smoother traffic flow for all road users,” he said.
Bello, while expressing the association’s full support of the initiative, urged truck operators to embrace the e-call-up system as a critical step toward orderliness and efficiency.
He noted that the Lekki peninsula was the new Lagos and was essential that all stakeholders worked together in maintaining its status, as a model urban corridor in Africa.
“We recognise the economic importance of wet and dry cargo trucking to Lagos and Nigeria as a whole, and we believe that a well-structured system benefits both the business community and residents alike.
“This e-call-up initiative is a necessary step toward better truck management, road safety and enhanced mobility on our newly built roads,” he said.
