Why We Embarked On Two – Day Warning Strike – NARTO

National President, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO)Alhaji Yusuf Othman has stated reasons the organisation embarked on a two-day warning strike, saying the federal government did not handle the issue at hand properly.

Recall that NARTO, as a body of transporters which engages in haulage of petroleum products, general cargoes and movement of goods and passengers within Nigeria and other West African countries, had threatened that it would issue a 10- day ultimatum for a complete industrial action if the government does not bulge to the warning strike.

The government had complained that 45,000 litres capacity trucks are too heavy for the roads , hence the need to phase them out with immediate effect.

According to NARTO, it ought to be given enough time to negotiate and regularise their operations before the policy can take full effect.

The strike is expected to end today (Wednesday).

But speaking with our correspondent via the telephone on the development, on Tuesday, the National President of the association, said that the group has decided to embark on warning strike because of the move by government to phase out 45,000 litres capacity trucks from plying the Nigerian roads.

Othman had reportedly said that the body considered it as insensitive and unappreciative of the efforts and contributions of the NARTO members as businessmen and investors in the very critical and sensitive distribution and supply chains of petroleum products across the country.

He however added that the group was in negotiation with the government to resolve the issue, saying members of the association are business men who are not ready for any sort of problems with the government.

NARTO boss stated that following the total collapse of petroleum products pipelines and strategic depots across the country as a result of the economic sabotage by vandals, the government in power then pleaded with private investors to assist in ameliorating the situation by ensuring that product scarcity is brought to the barest minimum.

It stressed that it was in response to the call that many of its members took the initiative to invest heavily in expanding their fleet of various capacities to deliver products to all nooks and crannies of the country.

It said: “Our members took loans from various commercial banks with very high interest rates and with no form of support from the government. We were doing it for the sake of the country and we all achieved the desired goal of removing scarcity of petroleum products and its attendant long queues from our streets and communities.

“It is, therefore, distressing and discouraging that when it was discovered along the line that one of the side effects of our efforts to fix the problem is the fact that our roads were not built to accommodate vehicles that carry loads in excess of 30 tonnes.

“The new government now wants to impose and introduce a new policy about maximum capacity on our roads. The government is doing so without any consideration for the plights of our members and other attendant effects.”

It noted that though it is not against the decision of the federal government to ban the use of truck more than 45,000 litre- capacity in the conveyance of petroleum products considering the dilapidated state of Nigerian roads, it is particularly concerned about the sudden nature of the ban.

By Roland Ekama