Despite the hiccups, President Women in Maritime Africa (WIMA) Nigerian chapter , Hajia Bola Muse has commended efforts of the federal government over the introduction of the electronic call up system in the port operations , saying it has reduced the amount truck drivers pay to security agents as bribe along the port corridors.
Muse disclosed that extortion of truckers by security operatives have drastically reduced since the flag off of the call up system noting that truckers no longer pay N250,000 but the Eto N10,000 charges.
Muse who the Managing Director, Bomarah Group in a chat with newsmen on Wednesday, enthused that the system has drastically reduced the extortionist tendencies of security operatives in charge of traffic management along the ports access roads.
She maintained that the few traffic situations still being experienced around the port access roads were artificial .
According to her, lack of patience on the part of the truck drivers can be attributed to pockets of traffic along the port corridors adding that “The E-Call up system is working but we Nigerians are impatient people. There is no good project that does not pass through a teething stage just like a child growing up.
Muse who doubles as the Treasurer, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) affirmed that”The traffic you see at Tin Can and other places is due to impatience of drivers but I want to assure you that Eto has come to stay no matter how they try to sabotage the efforts to make it work.
On forged call up system by truckers, She knocked drivers who present counterfeit slips recalling when they used to pay enormous sum to gain access to the port and now that they have to part with meagre sum of N10,000, telling them to be grateful.
“I don’t know why people want to forge because it is supposed to be a glory to all of us because where they were paying N240,000 to N250,000 before, they now pay only N10,000, why do you still need to forge?
“There moment you have your receipt, you enter the port ,”she added .
On the role of the women Women in Maritime Africa, (WIMA), Nigerian chapter, she stressed that efforts are on to improve on the capacity of women to take their rightful positions in the industry.
She added that things are getting a better outlook now as all women grouos in the maritime have started working together for a common goal
Also on the International Women ‘ s Day Celebration, she said “The theme of this year’s International Women Day was ‘I Choose to Challenge. We choose to challenge the oppression by men in the maritime sector,we choose to challenge maltreatment of women on board vessels, we choose to challenge intimidation by men in the maritime.
“We chose the theme to sensitise people that even though we are gender separate, we have equal rights.
“We used to have few women in the industry but we have a lot of then coming into the industry these days so see what we have been canvassing for all along.
“The most important thing now is that women are coming together to fight the cause in the industry.”
By Roland Ekama
