The Western Zone of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has said that it has shifted the commencement date for enforcing registration and standardization of all trucks operating in its premises in the zone from the 1st of March, 2016 to the 21st of March, 2016.
The General Manager Western Ports, NPA, Chief Michael Ajayi who made this known in an exclusive interview with Primetime Reporters on Monday in Lagos said that the shift was made to accommodate the truckers who requested for more time to enable them put their trucks in order.
Ajayi pointed out that it was obvious that the truckers never took the authority’s directive serious because they thought it was something they could buy off or threaten the authority with withdrawal of service to get but on realizing that NPA was determined to enforce the directive to the later, they requested for time to enable them do the needful.
According to him,” We ought to start tomorrow but at their instance, that is the truckers’ associations, a meeting was held last week of all the stakeholders with NAGAFF and ANLCA present and they appealed for more time to enable them put their trucks in order because I want to believe they never took our directive seriously. They thought it is something they can buy off or threaten us by withdrawal of service but we sticked to our gun that if you don’t register, get the entry permit, you will not enter the premises of the ports authority. So, as a result of that, at the meeting they requested for more time, our management looked at their request, and decided to start our enforcement beginning from the 21st of March, 2016. So that is where we are now”.
He however refuted the claims by the truckers that despite the fact that their various associations were asked by NPA to present a fee that they consider appropriate for the truck registration which they did but was jettisoned by the authority describing it as untrue adding that the directive to pay N10, 000 was there for past two years but the truckers stubbornly refused to pay.
“That is not true, I never asked them to submit prices comfortable to them, I never said so. In all our meetings, we have the minutes of the meeting , there was no time anything like that came up. The directive to pay N10,000 is there for the past two years but they stubbornly refused to pay. You are entering the premises of the Nigerian Ports Authority to do business and you don’t want to pay a dime, how do we maintain infrastructure? In other port locations all over Nigeria, they pay. In Onne they pay, in Port-Harcourt they pay, in Calabar and Warri ports, they pay and the entry fee is N500 or thereabout, then you park, overnight parking you pay N500 and it is per entry.
“But Management was very considerate because of the volume of the activities, we try to make it N10, 000 and if you divide N10,000 by 365 days, it is less than N30 per day. So, I do not know how that one is not reasonable”, he explained.
The Western Ports boss explained that some fleet owners have started complying with the directive as he said that the staff of the authority had been going to inspect their trucks at their yards and certify them.
Reacting, the Secretary, Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST), Mr. Godwin Ikeji denied any knowledge of the shift in date by NPA for enforcing its directive on truck registration saying that they had it only as a rumour that the new date was now 24th of March 2016.
Ikeji informed that since they refused to agree with NPA on the amount to be paid for the registration, the management no longer communicate with them rather it chose to be communicating with fleet operators who were in agreement with them.
He said,” We heard it as a rumour. You know, since we refused to agree with them, they no longer communicate with us, they communicate with people who agreed with them. We heard it as a rumour that the new date is now March 24 not even 21.
“Even in the meeting that day, there is a new group, they said they are the so-called fleet operators, these are the people who sort of agreed with them at the meeting on whose ground they requested to reconsider for that shift and Mr. Ajayi promised them to go before the MD and ask for that change and that if that change occurs, that he will communicate them. So, I believe they are the people he has communicated but nobody told us anything”.
He however maintained that putting their trucks in order was not their issue with NPA but the amount with which they were to register their trucks before they could obtain NPA permit to the ports adding that before now, they have elected to put their trucks in order as no one would love to see his truck broken down on the road or failed to complete its assignment.
“What we are asking for is not putting trucks in order, we are talking of money, N10,000. We have no problem with putting trucks in order, we have always said that no owner will love to see his truck broken down on the way or failing to complete its assignment. Where we differ is the payment of the N10,000.
“We are still asking for a shift of ground for that amount. When we met last wee, they said there is no going back but we are asking and we said it, we cannot fight them but we are making our point”, he added.
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