Following the March 1, 2016 deadline given by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) Western Zonefor all the trucks operating in the nation’s seaport to register and get its sticker, the Joint Council of Seaport Truckers (JCOST) has scheduled to meet on Thursday next week to review the situation and take a position on the matter.
It will be recalled that NPA on the 1st of this month commenced registration of trucks operating at the nation’s seaport with the issuance of stickers upon payment of the sum of ten thousand naira (N10, 000.00) adding that by 1st of March, 2016, trucks without the NPA stickers would not be allowed entry into the ports in the Western Zone
Speaking in an interview with Primetime Reporters in Lagos yesterday, the Chairman, Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Alhaji Isiaka Olalere stated that the meeting among other things would look at the amount fixed for registration of trucks per year and its implication in their business.
Olalere who was visibly worried at the development however said that whereas truckers were not against profiling the trucks accessing the ports to do business, they were against the monetary aspect f the exercise.
He disclosed that NPA had earlier sent them a letter asking them to suggest how much they could afford for such exercise which they in their individual unions sent to the NPA but were surprised that none of the amount proposed by the unions was considered only for the authority to slam a N10, 000. 00 fee on them for truck registration.
According to Olalere who is also the Treasurer of JCOST,” We all agreed that we are going to put our vehicles in order so as to meet up to the minimum standard but the monetary aspect of it is what is causing problem. We have not one day agreed that our members will pay N10, 000.00, that is where the disagreement lies.
“At a time, NPA sent us letter asking us to propose the amount we will pay for registration which we did. We at RTEAN suggested N2, 500.00 and two other associations suggested N5, 000. 00 but since then we have not been called to defend what we have written neither did they call us to tell us what they wanted to do. Just about a month ago, they called a meeting of all stakeholders that come 1st of March, 2016, NPA will come to enforce registration, if you don’t have NPA sticker, you may not be able to access the ports”.
When asked if JCOST will consider withdrawing their service to the port if by the end February NPA goes ahead to enforce the policy, he said,” You cannot rule that one out. We have our weapon, we are the owners, we have the right to tell drivers to park those vehicles. We have a body called JCOST, whatever decision JCOST take on an issue around the port here is final. We have another meeting on Thursday, all stakeholders at NARTO office”.
Also speaking, the Secretary of JCOST, Mr. Godwin Ikeji descri9bed the development as disappointing as it was opposed to what the body had advised NPA saying that if by 1st of March, 2016 NPA sees any registered vehicle to access the port, the truck should go ahead and work.
He wondered why NPA which had concessioned the ports out to the terminal operators and which had no job offer for the truckers would be on the neck of the truckers with a fixed fee of N10, 000. 00 in the name of registration fee for trucks per annum.
“Come 1st of March as they said, if they see any registered vehicle, the field is open, anybody can go and register, we are not holding anybody but come that date, anybody that is registered and according to their guideline, let the person go and work and those who cannot meet up can go their way.
“It is not by force and NPA is not offering us any job, it is only if you have a job you go. If they have a job they are offering us, it is a different thing, they would say if you have their registration, you get their job, more so the ports have been concessioned, what are we to gain from NPA? Why are they after us?”, he queried.
On why they were kicking against an amount which is less than N1,000.00 per month, he said,” what we are looking at is the cumulative effect. We are not talking about N10,000.00 as per one off payment. How much is minimum wage? And when you are talking of N10,000.00, we are talking of a truck that has undergone road worthiness under the States and Federal Governments’ Ministry of Transport, gotten his certificate of road worthiness, gotten his vehicle license, gotten his insurance and is taking care of family. Each truck has at least ten dependents on it and when you talk of N10,000.00 per annum, I think if you look at it for now, Maersk Line has in their roll not less than 4, 000 trucks, look at what that will mean by N10,000.00.
“We asked them what have they to tell us about the extortions going on in the course of doing that job, they claimed that with this, all those extortions will be wiped out and I wonder the magic they want to do”.
Recall that JCOST is a conglomeration of five trucking associations operating in the Nigerian ports namely; the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) Truck Section and one other association.
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