COMTUA Moves To Tackle Trucks Man-Hours Along Port Corridors.

The Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has reiterated keen interest to tackle the man hours lost by truckers and long stay of heavy duty vehicles along the port corridors, even as its affirmed strong determination to engage federal government to compel shipping companies to provide holding bays for empty containers.

COMTUA lamented that the regulatory agencies deployed to tackle gridlock along the corridors failed to live up to stakeholders expectation adding that a large number of shipping companies have declined to provide holding bays for boxes .

The umbrella body of truckers also appealed to the Federal Government to constitute a committee comprising maritime agencies ,private investors and COMTUA in a bid to manage and control call up system of transit terminals for the next two years .

While speaking at press briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, acting Chairman of COMTUA Mr. Aloga Ogbogo expressed dissatisfaction over the poor performances of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Nigerian Shippers Council but added that the new executives would work round the clock to put the government agencies on their toes in ensuring orderliness and seamless flow of inward and outward bound cargoes along the port corridors.

 

Ogbogo who also doubles as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), said the Council of truckers was formed to address the challenges bedevilling haulage businesses in the industry especially in Apapa and Tin Can ports respectively.

The acting Chairman assured that truckers would henceforth speak with a single voice to address issues faced in the industry.

According to him, the major factor responsible for persistent gridlock along the port corridor ishunting of trucks that are not called up by some persons with the aid of security operatives and extortion.

 

 

He added that preferential treatment given to the highest bidders by the security operatives, inefficiency of the shipping companies and terminal operators in handling empty containers like system break down, lack of space to stack empty containers.

He further blamed the continued gridlock on lack of functional holding bays by shipping companies for the empty containers.

“While we urge the federal government to prevail on the NPA and NSC to set up a call committee comprising NPA, Port Police COMTUA and terminal operators to handle the call up system for the two years major truck transit terminal, it should be a policy of the government that all trucks going to the ports must enter the transit truck terminals before accessing the port and all defaulters should be severely sanctioned.”he added.

The delay in the construction of Apapa/Oshodi expressway, according to him was another factor that hampers free flow of traffic along the corridor.

“While we urge the federal government to prevail on the Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council to set up a call up committee comprising of the NPA, Port police, COMTUA and terminal operators to handle the call up for the major truck transit terminals.

 

 

“It should be a policy of the government that all trucks going to the ports must enter the transit truck terminals before accessing the ports. All defaulters should be severely sanctioned,” he said.

Also speaking on the sideline, President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, who is also a member of the board, affirmed that the union was involved in the collaboration for the protection of members ‘ welfare.

Adeyanju stated that the union has a unit of haulage operations as part of the MWUN efforts in diversfying on it activities, saying that interest of the members must be protected thus the need to be part of the amalgamation.

He noted that the union can no longer fold its hands and watch the situation deteriorate from bad to worst noting that with the new board executives of COMTUA, issues bothering on gridlock and extortion along the port corridors would be addressed.

He also affirmed that the new executives led by Aloga Ogbogo would change the narrative in easing the movement of cargoes in and out of the seaports.

Recall that the umbrella body of truckers recentiy dissolved its Board of Trustee, as a new team was constituted and headed by Mr. Aloga Ogbogo in acting capacity.

Members of the newly elected BOT include:
Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, Aloga Ogbogo,
Chief Ayoola Sadiku, Comrade Bello Abubakar
and Comrade Isiaka Olalere.

Others are : Olaleye Thompson, Paul Alamah
, Wasiu Oluwatoyin, Issa babatunde, Alhaji Isyaka Ishola and Comrade Theo Okoli.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) is yet to nominate it official.

By Roland Ekama