…Demands release of the trucks at no cost to owners
The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF has faulted the Lagos State Joint Taskforce for towing trucks which have legitimate call up to go and load or discharge their empty containers at the port during the clearance exercise it carried out on the Coconut to Tincan Island Port road yesterday.
The Chairman of NAGAFF, Kirikiri Lighter Terminal, KLT, Engr. Emmanuel Umeadi who frowned at the development in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Tuesday insisted that the taskforce had no justifiable reason to tow trucks with call up from the Trucks Transit Parks, TTP, a technical company engaged by the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA to manage the traffic along the Mile 2 – Tincan Island Port road.
Insisting that the stakeholders were not aware of the basis for the enforcement, Umeadi argued that if the taskforce wanted to carry out such operation especially in a terrain where they were not conversant with, they should engage the stakeholders who were into the business to guide them to identify trucks who had call up to enter the port.
He noted that the process for the truckers required that a truck driver would commence his journey to the port from a pregate park if he has a legitimate business to do at the port adding that the call up system was introduced by the Nigerian Ports Authority in collaboration with the Lagos State Government.
The NAGAFF Chairman said, “And as far as we are concerned, there was no basis for this joint taskforce making freight forwarders and transporters to spend double because when they tow these trucks, when we go for the trucks, they will start billing us even when we have a legitimate business to do at the port.
“We asking the Lagos State Government to look into this and engage the stakeholders whenever they want to move into operations such as this so that they don’t add to the hardship already faced by the people. We are pleading that those ones they towed especially those ones that have call up, they should let them go because they have a legitimate business to do at the port. They should release them without any payment attached.”
Asked if a truck on call up to the port was supposed to queue on the road, he said, “It depends on the terminal they are heading to. Some terminals may request that they should come but some trucks who don’t have any business being on the road would block the road. For example, if ZIM container is entering TICT and you are called upon to bring in a 40 footer ZIM container and you are coming from a pregate park and by then, the pregate would have signal that you are entering into the port. So, it’s a normal thing that it’s not your turn and you will have to queue up for your turn until you enter the port.
“It is impossible for a truck to come and enter into the port straight away. There are some trucks like those going to Five Star Logistics terminal, there is no TTP park for you to enter but you go straight to the terminal either to load or discharge your empty container. So, such people may have a little delay on the road hence necessitating queuing. So, if they show their call up to the taskforce people who are towing the trucks, they might not be knowledgeable enough to know the ones going to Five Star terminal and those going to TICT.
“While others have signal to enter the port, if they come, they have to queue up till it gets to their turn. In view of this, the taskforce might not be knowledgeable enough to know the one that has call up. That is why they have to engage the stakeholders who will identify those on legitimate business at the port before they commence the towing.”
On whether or not the drivers of those trucks showed their call up to the taskforce team before they towed away their trucks, Umeadi said, “They did but they chased the drivers away and towed their trucks to show that they are not in the system. If they are in the system and they are engaging stakeholders who will identify those on legitimate mission to the port, they wouldn’t have made this kind of mistake.”
Asked if he did not like the sanity brought to bear in the road by the taskforce, he said, “As you are going to work, so the truckers are also going to work. The sanity brought on the road by the taskforce is a welcomed development but they should have towed only the offending ones and leave those with call up to come to the port. If you come to tow their trucks and they provide what you asked for, you let them go without collecting a token.
“The way you are happy driving without any hitch to the port, no driver would want to stay on the road, they are not happy they are staying on the road. It’s the way and manner the terminals manage the system of accepting empties which they have already released from the pregate to enter the port, sometimes, they slow it down. So, you don’t hit back on the driver who has already left the pregate with the belief that he is going to the port.”
Speaking on whether or not they have notified the leadership of the NPA on this development, he posited that “NPA is aware of what is happening. There is no way one will come to tow trucks at the port without NPA knowing. From the information we had, the TTP which is a technical company managing the call up system, Lagos State Government has a percentage of the total collection by the company. So, Lagos State Government should know that those trucks have also contributed to the economy of Lagos State. So, if a truck has a call up as an evidence that he is going into the port, and is on queue, there is no need for you to tow them.
“They should look beyond towing the trucks and also consider ease of doing business at the port. We are happy that the road is cleared but we are not happy that trucks on legitimate mission to the port were also towed away.”
“We are pleading that those drivers who provided their call up tickets and their trucks were towed, their trucks should be released to them without any financial cost to them. There should not be any penalty for those who have reason to be on the road and who showed you their call up. Any truck that they towed which has call up and everything tallied, they should let them go”, Umeadi added.
Meanwhile, all efforts to get the reaction of the leader of the Lagos State Joint Taskforce to comment on this issue proved abortive as he could not be reached as at press time.
Photo: Engr. Emmanuel Umeadi, Chairman, NAGAFF, KLT chapter.
Send your press invite, news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @PrimetimeRepor1 and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526.
