By Ranmilowo Ojalumo– Truckers in Lagos, notably in the maritime sector have decried incessant attacks on their truck drivers by suspected hoodlums allegedly working under the name of associations like National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria RTEAN and some Local Governments.
The truckers said they have had enough of the atrocities of hoodlums who are suspected members of NURTW, RTEAN and local government officials in Lagos that have been threatening their lives, vandalizing their trucks, attacking and maiming their drivers and as well sabotaging their business; a development they said is undermining the Nigeria economy.
The Truckers are calling on the Lagos State Government, the governor of Lagos state, Nigeria President, Bola Tinubu, the Minister of transport, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, the Chairmen of National Assembly Committees on Maritime Transport Affairs, the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, and the Director General of DSS to come to their.
National Chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi addressing the maritime trucker on Wednesday at AMATO Office in Apapa, Lagos.
The cargo transporters made the call on Wednesday at a press briefing in Apapa, Lagos. The truckers said they have no option than to shut down operations at the port, in a few days from now, unless the relevant authorities intervene to stop the hoodlums’ attacks on their drivers, trucks and the unabated extortions.
The truckers in a statement issued at the meeting said “the Maritime Truck Operators are among largest employers of Labour in Nigeria. We contribute to the GDP growth of our nation. We work 24 hours under the sun and in the rain to feed our national economy for growth and development.
“We gather here today 28/08/2924 to draw the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria as a matter of urgency, to address the menace of hoodlums who are working under the name of unions/associations like National Union of Road Transport Workers “NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and some Local Governments that are threatening our lives, vandalizing our trucks, sabotaging our business and undermining Nigerian economy.
“As a result of the activities of these hoodlums across many roads and highways in Lagos State, our Drivers are being extorted, beaten and killed. Our trucks are being vandalized and set ablaze by these hoodlums in an attempt to collect money from our drivers. They have caused the falling of many trucks carrying export and import goods worth billions of naira along Apapa/Tincan Ports corridor and ECOWAS corridor of Lagos Badagry express road where innocent citizens have been lost their lives including military and police men thorough ghastly accidents induced by multiple checkpoints mounted by these hoodlums in their attempt to stop and extort truck Drivers.
“Our business is collapsing. We can no longer put our trucks in good shape and comply with minimum safety standards due to endless attacks on our trucks by hoodlums. Nigeria’s trade facilitation, ease of doing business in the ports corridors and seamless evacuation of cargoes to and from the ports are imploding under the activities of hoodlums who apart from unlawful extortion, truck vandalization, causing traffic gridlock, assaulting drivers and death, have nothing positive to contribute.
“The hostile transportation business environment created by these hoodlums is limiting the chances of Nigeria benefiting from the African Continental Free Trade Area ACFTA by discouraging foreign investors. Many logistics businesses are relocating from Lagos State due to the activities of these hoodlums. Our drivers are abandoning the driving profession due to daily harassment.
“We have written several letters to the Lagos State Government, the State Police Command and the DSS without any solution in view. Hence our convergence here today to let the Federal Government and the whole world know what we are passing through. We are saying enough is enough. We cannot continue to be working like elephants and eating like ants. We cannot continue to labour for hoodlums to be collecting our hard earned proceeds in this period of economic hardship coupled with the astronomical rise in cost of trucking operations.
“On this note if the Federal Government does not address the problem of hoodlums sabotaging our business we are going to shut down port operations through withdrawal of our service until the Government addresses our challenges.
“Through this medium, We are making a clarion call to Mr. President, the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, the Director General of DSS, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Chairman of National Assembly Committees on Maritime Transport Affairs to come to the rescue of Maritime Transport Operators and our national economy and truckers from extortion bandits masking under NURTW, RTEAN and Local Government workers to inflict economic loss and hardship on hardworking citizens.
“The Federal Government should declare an outright ban of mounting of roadblocks and checkpoints for toll collection on major highways in line with sections of the Taxes and Levies act 2004 which prohibits any person, including a Tax Authority from mounting a roadblock in any part of the Federation for the purposes of collecting any Tax or Levy.
“Commuter Bus Associations and Local Governments in Lagos State should be refrained from stopping, harassing and imposing/selling their tickets or interfering with anything trucks as we truckers do not dabble into any of their affairs.
“The Federal Government should stop hoodlums from vandalizing our trucks, beating and extorting our drivers on the roads.
