The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) to take steps to stop alleged extortion of truckers on port access road by unnamed association.
The Chairman, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal (KLT) chapter, NAGAFF, Engr. Emmanuel Umeadi who made this call in a telephone interview with our correspondent yesterday accused the said associations of mounting illegal road blocks along the port corridor.
While recalling that NPA had last year introduced call up system for truckers operating in Lagos ports which according to him was a welcomed development, he however said, “but what we will not tolerate is the road blocks along the port corridor.”
He said, “We noticed that some associations have been collecting money. Even if you don’t belong to the associations, they collect money from you. That is extortion and economic sabotage to the country.
“NPA and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council should look into this. They should put up a task force which will comprise of all the associations in the port because you can’t create a task force that will checkmate all those things without involving the stakeholders. This is with the aim that members of the associations in the task force will identify their members as against people coming to mount road blocks along the port corridor.
“From Mile 2 to Tincan, you spend additional N50,000 after paying the required fee for call up which is almost N100,000 which is the same thing they paid during the time of the Presidential Task Team. NPA should call a stakeholders meeting, send letters to all the freight forwarding associations as well as all the trucking unions. If I don’t belong to your association and I belong to another association, you can’t stop my vehicle and start collecting money on the road. It’s totally wrong. They belong to an association to which they pay their dues and it’s even wrong to collect money on the road.
“So, NPA should look into this and come up with something else before we embark on street protest because the port is their (NPA) own and we don’t understand why they should allow other people collect money by force, when you don’t pay, they beat you up.”
The NAGAFF Chairman also alleged that the extortion of truckers by the said associations were being done in full glare of Police officers deployed to ensure security of lives and property on the road but failed to stop them.
His words, “The Police are attached to them and the Police know them, they see them collecting money without questioning them to know what the money was for. I know that the Police are on the road to ensure security but they are seeing those boys collecting money. So, what are those boys collecting money for? Are those boys collecting the money for them or are they collecting the money for themselves?
“Some would claim they are from the Governor, I know that the Governor cannot give such approval for you to come on the road and start collecting money. Before you get to Tincan, you will see them collecting money and those Police officers will be there watching them, you will see not less than eight of such road blocks along the Mile 2 – Tincan Island Port corridor.
“NPA and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council are the regulators, they should look into this before associations will take laws into their hands. They should leave the road, they are causing nuisance, they are criminals. If there’s anything, they should clarify with the NPA.”
He, however, challenged the NPA and the NSC managements to pay a discreet visit on the road to enable them get first hand information on the allegation and confirm it themselves.
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