COMTUA Suffers Major Setbacks As Four Associations Withdraw Membership

Barely two years the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) dumped the Council of Maritime Truck Union’s and Association (COMTUA) over issues bothering on disagreement and insincerity of purpose , another four groups of truck owners have pulled out from the council.

DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA gathered that the recent withdrawal of the four groups can be attributed to an election which was supposedly to harmonise body of truckers under the aegis of “National Association of Maritime Truck Operators “,(NAMTOP).

Trouble started when issues of partisanship allegation was levelled against Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Transportation,Mr.  Sola Giwa by COMTUA regarding the selection of executive committees for the maritime transport operators in the state.

It was gathered that as part of effort of the Lagos State Government to promote the ease of doing transportation business in Lagos State through the Ministry of Transportation Alausa, directed maritime trucking operators in Lagos State to come under one unified body.

Consequent upon the Lagos State Government directive, Maritime Transport Unions/Associations came together, suggested, deliberated and unanimously agreed to adopt the National Association of Maritime Transport Operators NAMTOP as the umbrella body of truckers to partner Lagos State Government on seamless implementation of the ease of doing transportation business policy in the state.

It was also learnt that a communique to that effect was signed by truckers representatives in the presence of the officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation at Alausa.

Sequel to the adoption of NAMTOP and the need to have an executive structures to coordinate the affairs of the umbrella body for successful implementation of Government policy on ease of doing transportation business in Lagos State, majority of truckers and notable elders in the Maritime Trucking industry conveyed a general meeting and endorsed a Board of Trustees BOT, State and Zonal executive structures for NAMTOP of which a letter was written to the office of Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation.

The leadership of COMTUA excluded itself in the selection of NAMTOP executive committees because of the alleged  request to dominate executive positions at the expense of other Unions/Associations in NAMTOP was not granted.

It was further alleged that COMTUA later went and submit a parallel NAMTOP executive committee list to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation Alausa in defiance to the executive committees already endorsed by notable elders in the maritime trucking industry.

As a result these four registered trucking associations which includes Corporate Fleet Truck Owners Association (CFTA), Container Truck Owners Association of Nigeria (COTOAN), Truckers and Carriers Association of Nigeria (TACAN), and Young Truck Owners submitted their letters of withdrawal from COMTUA.

A statement made available to DAILY FOCUS NIGERIA explained that” On the 17th of June 2023, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Transportation held a meeting NAMTOP and COMTUA representatives at the Ministry of Transportation at Alausa with the view of resolving the impasse between us and COMTUA. A ten man reconciliatory committee comprising five representatives from NAMTOP and COMTUA was formed.

” On the 20th of June 2023, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation invited Truckers to another round of meeting at Alausa where the ten man reconciliatory committee selected in the previous meeting were eventually allowed to sit with the Permanent Secretary. Suddenly, members of COMTUA in the committee moved a motion for election of another NAMTOP executive committee outside the NAMTOP executive structure already endorsed by maritime trucking elders with Alhaji Lukman Shittu as it Chairman. Our members in the ten man reconciliatory committee walked out of the meeting. The remaining members of COMTUA in the committee at Permanent Secretary office conducted an alleged sham election and declared one Mr. Moshood  Adisa as the new Chairman of NAMTOP in Lagos State on social media outlets.

Meanwhile, a statement signed by Adeyinka Aroyewun, National President , COMTUA on Tuesday, 27th June 2023, said his Association stands like a solid rock in the maritime industry.

Aroyewun stated that  NAMTOP maritime elders is alien to the industry, adding that for it to sign a letter in such a name is a joke and can never be taken seriously.

 

By Roland Ekama