ONE YEAR AFTER: Truck Owners Want NPA To Fulfil Promises On Electronic Call Up System

Management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) have been advised to fulfill it earlier promises to introduce electronic call up system to ease movement of trucks in and out of the seaports, as part of efforts to boost trade facilitation.

Truckers under the aegis of the Nigerians Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and Council of Maritime Transport Union’s and Associations (COMTUA) maintained that NPA in 2019, assured haulage operators in the maritime industry that plans were afoot to ensure that the port system embrace technological driven process through the introduction of automation.

Head of Operations, COMTUA ,Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi in a chat with our correspondent stated that electronic call up system if introduction to port operations will eliminate all forms of corrupt element and human contact along the corridors.

Inuwa maintained that the bottleneck experienced along the port corridors would be eradicated through an effective technological advancement call up system for trucks accessing the ports.

He also appealed to the supervising Ministry of Works and Housing to expedite actions and fix the ongoing construction of Apapa Oshodi expressway to reduce the pressure on the ports.

According to him, trucks laden with containers and tankers are trapped on the road on a daily basis due to the dilapidated state , which he further described as an eyesore to the gateway to the nation’s economy.

Inuwa who is also a chieftain of NARTO added that”Over the years the NPA had promised to introduce electronic call up system. Infact the most recent was last year around August that they promised to start electronic call up at Lilypond; only for us to hear that the process has been suspended for no reason given.

“I know if the electronic call up system is introduce to the ports then there will be so many transformation to the haulage operators.

“I know with the electronic call up things like extortion by government officials will be eliminated from port operations.

Inuwa also lauded efforts so far put in place by the current Port Manager , Lagos Ports Complex (LPC ),Mrs Funmilayo Olota for proactive steps taken to ease the flow of heavy duty trucks in and out of the seaports in Lagos.

He also commended the Presidential Task Taskforce on Apapa Traffic for effective control of the gridlock along port city adding that the Comrade Kayode Opeifa led team has performed above stakeholders expectations in the management of traffic along the corridors.

Also speaking , General Manager, Operations NARTO , Chief Stephen Okafor said the electronic call up system is long overdue , saying management of NPA has the capacity and capability to introduce technological driven system for effective traffic management along the corridors.

Reacting on the manual call up system in place, Okafor said: “We cannot compare electronic call up system to what we have now.

“Electronic system is far better than what we have now and I remember that NPA had promised to introduce electronic call up system after the completion of the Wharf Road , but the road has been completed and up till this point the NPA has not fulfilled its promises.

“They have promised us and I believe they will do it .”

He said the electronic call up system would assist in the control of traffic along the corridors pointing out that manual system is full of pranks and compromises.

By Roland Ekama