WELFARE: COMTUA To Engage Insurance Firms For Truck Drivers , Inaugurates New Excos

The Council for Maritime Transport Unions and Association (COMTUA) has introduced  an insurance cover scheme  for both truck drivers and motor boys as part of efforts to boost their welfare packages.

 

The council also disclosed plans to engage the services of a reputable hospital in the port city of Apapa to provide health services for sick drivers and their assistants .

 

Board of Trustees Chairman of COMTUA, Comrade Aloga Ogbogo disclosed this over the weekend, during the council’s  restructuring of executives in Lagos.

 

Ogbogo who also doubles as the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), noted that the board of trustees will continue to play more of advisory role in the new COMTUA executives, adding that the maritime sector remains the constituency that most be protected from any form of collapse.

 

Ogbogo maintained that the welfare of truckers especially the drivers and dockworkers was paramount to the new COMTUA responsibilities, noting that lives  of the  drivers are equally important more than the trucks.

He noted that ” The component of what we aimed to achieve is to source for a hospital in Apapa, whereby if the drivers are sick as a result of mosquito bites due to longer period spent along the port corridors and other illnesses that may arise, we can refer them to that hospital and when we get the bill we take responsibility .

 

“Another component of the insurance packages is that most drivers travel far and wide as a result , an accident might occur which may lead to disability or permanent disability. Though we don’t pray for such to happen to our drivers but these are unforeseen circumstances.

 

“But however, the insurance packages we are looking at will take care of both disability and permanent disability situation

 

Ogbogo who is the current President, West Africa Road Transport Unions (WARTU) added that for a driver to travel for multiple period without accident,   will be compensated as well geared towards motivation.

 

He lamented that an average tanker driver is better than a container or trailer driver because of the welfare packages put in place by owners of such vehicles.

 

The BOT Co-Chairman called on truck drivers to embrace  discipline in the line of duty , while lamenting that  disorderliness on the part of the truckers contributed to the current traffic situation along the port corridors.

 

On his part , Co-Chairman BOT and President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Adewale Adeyanju stressed the need for gender equality in the new executives of COMTUA ,even as he appealed to the new team to work in harmony with sincerity of purposes.

 

Adeyanju called on the executives to instil  discipline in their operations noting that the BOT Co-Chairmen will not be visible in the activities of COMTUA.

 

According to him, the Co-Chairmen will play  major  role in advisory capacity whenever the need arises.

 

Adeyanju charged the group to take the issue of welfare of members seriously and that COMTUA should dare to be different among all organisations in the port by putting on the yoga of integrity

 

He also tasked the new officers to be diligent in carrying out their assignments even as he called on them to concentrate on how to clear the roads of traffic.

 

Similarly, President of the Council, Comrade Olaleye Thompson disclosed that plans are also ongoing to engage the services of mobile toilet operators to assist in the area of sanitary for the truckers along the corridors.

 

Thompson affirmed that COMTUA has engaged the services of Lagos State  Waste Management to assist in the clearance of refuse and human waste along the port corridors.

He reiterated the need to prioritize the living and health conditions of the drivers and motor boys along the port corridors pointing out human waste along the two major ports need urgent intervention by the government.

 

Meanwhile, the new executives are as follows;  Board Of Trustees have as Co Chairmen , Mr. Aloga  I.Ogbogo and Comrade Adewale Adeyanju.

 

President Mr Olaleye Thompson and  Deputy President Mr Okafor Stephen.

 

Others include: General Secretary Mr Victor Nnotum and Asst Gen Sect Mr Yakubu Kolawale.

 

 

Vice President Finance , Mrs Folake George; Vice President Special Duties , Comrade Audu Eroje; Vice President Communication & Logistics  Mr Moshood Adisa.

 

Head of Welfare , Mr Amodu Bade; PRO  Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa GG; Head of Tags , Comrade Abubakar Bello; Organising Secretary Mr Adeyinka Aroyewun.

 

Treasurer , Sir Patrick Onyegbule; Head of Operation (Tin Can), Mr Bidemi Wasiu; Co- Head of Operation (Tin Can) Mr Bada Samsundeen.

 

Head of Operation (Apapa) , Mr Ahmed Saro; Co-Head of Operation Mr Olawale Oladeinde;  Head of Monitoring Team (Tin Can), Mr Sulu Rasaki; and Head of Monitoring team (Apapa) , Mr Igumola.