AMATO Decries Delay Of Export Exit At  Lilypond Terminal, Says Trucks Spend Ten Days Before Exiting Facility

 

The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has decried delay of vehicular exit at Lilypond  Truck Terminal to the seaports, lamenting that haulage operations at the Ijora based facilities have not been yielded the positive results expected.

 

Chairman of AMATO ,  Alhaji  Lukman Shittu disclosed this on Tuesday during a sensitization programme put together by

the Lagos State Truck and Cargo Committee (LASTCOC) and the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation,at Lilypond  Truck Terminal , Ijora.

 

Shittu also disclosed plans to set up a taskforce  committee to monitor  movement trucks in addition to the numerous challenges befalling import and export  haulage vehicles in and out Lilypond and port environs.

 

While reiterating AMATO ‘s commitment to ensure mental health well being truckers operating within the maritime community, At the sensitization programme on zero tolerance to substance abuse , Shittu drivers and their assistant are bread winners of their families, hence the need for them to be responsible to the society and port industry .

A cross section of truckers at the sensitization programme held in Lagos on Tuesday.

 

Speaking shortly after the sensitization, Shittu reiterated that the taskforce will cover peculiar areas within the port community of Apapa, with emphasis to locations like -Eleganza, Mr. Biggs and Lilypond terminals.

 

At the sensitization on zero tolerance to substance abuse , he stated that:”For long there is delay at Lilypond and some trucks spend close to 10 days before they exit Lilypond terminals. We want to set up the taskforce to monitor the movement of cargoes at the terminal.

 

“We will introduce the task team soon. We will deploy at  least four persons to Lilypond, Eleganza and Mr. Biggs Area and we will monitor it ourselves because this is our business and we have no other jobs for now.”

 

 

Shittu who doubles as Chairman, LASTCOC, apparently determined to change the narrative of haulage drivers, stressed the need for truckers operating within the maritime industry to be enlightened on the danger of drug abuse and that the association will continue to solicit on sensitizing drivers on the importance of abstaining from any form of drugs  or substances which in turn will reduce accidents on the Lagos roads.

 

He commended the Lagos state government under Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu for the initiative to sensitize truckers adding that truckers need all the support and encouragement towards ensuring a drug  free society.

 

 

 

Earlier ,Hon Hassan Adekoya who spoke on behalf of the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa explained that the use of illegal substances have migrate from hard drugs to pharmaceutical products.

 

Hassan disclosed that drug abuse has led to accidents on the highways but added that the days of drug abuse by truckers would soon be over .

 

A cross of truckers took turn to express  ill treatment from  their employers, government agencies ,hoodlums and insecurity within the port community.