Why We Formed A Coalition With Maritime Truck Owners – Alh. Tanko

The National Coordinator of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF ) 100% Compliance Team, Alhaji Ibrahim Tanko has explained reasons behind the recent collaboration with truck owners under the auspices of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), saying the move was aimed to end the persistent gridlock on the port access roads in Lagos.

 

Recall that the NAGAFF and AMATO entered into  partnership called Concerned Freight Forwarders And  Maritime Truckers (COFFAMAT) with a view to address issues of extortion along the port corridors.

 

Tanko told journalists in his office that the collaboration and modalities with the truckers was to end the extortion of truck drivers by the the Presidential Task team and other security agencies.

 

He alleged that the Kayode Opeifa led taskforce was responsible for the lingering traffic along the port corridors.

 

“Now, haulage fee in Tincan is N1.3 million, it was N1 million as at last week. If you want to carry container from Tincan to any part of Lagos, it is N1.3 million. This is because in Tincan, the extortionists no longer collect N250,000 or N300, 000 as bribe, they are now collecting between N400,000 and N500,000.

 

“So, we want to end this problem. The Presidential Task Team have failed woefully, so, we now decided that since the freight forwarders own the boxes and maritime truck owners own the trucks, let us come together to solve our problem because it is nobody’s problem. So, that is why we are teaming up to see whether we can take charge of the access control to the port”, he added.

 

The National Coordinator who expressed sadness over the cost hauling goods out of the ports to any part of Lagos state noted that “We pay huge amount of money ranging from N150,000 to N300,000 for an empty truck to come in to carry containers and that is why you are seeing the increase in transport fare.”

 

While stating that they had been meetings, he further added that they had written series of letters to the Office of the Vice President of Nigeria, Office of the Governor of Lagos State, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State, the Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority amongst others in this regard.

 

“We have had a meeting with the Lagos State Governor and he accepted to work with us along with LASTMA. We did some demonstrations on how we intend to go on the project before the Governor last Friday; we demonstrated how the access card will work. We are still working on it.

 

“We will be meeting with the NPA (last Tuesday) tomorrow. NPA was trying to hijack it but we resisted it on the ground that we have finished with the Nigerian Navy, we are experimenting with the presidential task team and now NPA. We are going to take it upon us, if they want, they can join us”, he concluded.

 

 

By Roland Ekama