Following the inability of the Management of the Western Ports of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to commence the enforcement of the truck standardization, registration and entry permit fee earlier rescheduled to commence on the 21st of March, 2016, the Coalition of Port Dry Cargo Transport Operators has suspended its one day old withdrawal of service earlier commenced on Monday morning.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Lagos Tuesday, the Chairman of the Coalition, Abdullahi Mohammed Inuwa stated that the action was suspended due to the fact that NPA officials were not asking them of the entry permit as planned.
Inuwa who maintained that there was a 100% compliance with the directive by his members also disclosed that the truckers had to suspend the action when on monitoring the level of compliance by members two officials from the NPA security approached them asking them to resume work since the authority was not coming forth with the enforcement as earlier proposed.
He however described the one day action as successful as the activities in and around the ports were paralyzed the period the action lasted.
“Yes we have resumed work because based on what is on ground; we have suspended the withdrawal of service because they are not asking us of the entry permit.
“We asked our members to withdraw their service from all Lagos ports based on the NPA demand of N10, 000 entry permit and it was successful and we had 100% compliance that yesterday (Monday). The activities of the ports were paralyzed.
“We just withdrew to allow the GM (General Manager) who had claimed that about 2000 trucks had registered with them to work with those trucks that have registered since we have not registered. But when we came out on our routine check to see the compliance level of our members, we now discovered that it was 100% compliance.
“There where we stood at the entrance of the gate chatting with some of our members hanging around the gate, two men from the NPA security approached us and pleaded with us that they are not forthcoming with the enforcement of the N10, 000 entry permit fee and that as at that day, they could not see the 2000 trucks that NPA claimed to have registered. So, they pleaded with us that they are not harassing anybody. Based on that, I directed most of our members that if that was the case, they should go back to their duty.
“We have agreed on the minimum standard, it is only the N10, 000 entry permit that we said we will not pay. So, they should go back to duty but if any person should demand that N10, 000 entry permit from them, they should call on us and we will ask them to withdraw”, he said.
When asked if there was any official position of the NPA communicated to as to why the enforcement did not go on as planned, he said,” We did not communicate with him. As far as he didn’t disturb any of our members from entering the port about the entry permit, then, we don’t have problem”.
Meanwhile, all effort made at getting the official position of NPA on the planned enforcement failed as we could not get anybody to speak to us on the matter as at the time of filing this report.
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