MWUN, NARTO, NAMTOP visit port manager, police, assure of sanity along port access roads.

Segun Oladipupo

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The leadership of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), and Nexus Association of Maritime Truck Operators (NAMTOP) on Wednesday, paid a courtesy visit on Tin Can Island and Apapa Port Complex managers and the Western Police Police Command Commissioner.

The visit which was led by the President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, was ostensibly to intimate the hosts with the aims and objectives of the collaboration.

In a release by the Media Head, MWUN, Comrade John Kennedy, the visitors discussed among other things, welfare of truck drivers which they said was paramount to the collaboration.

“The question of proper identification of drivers and their trucks were addressed as against the previous modus operandi of drivers having more than one plate numbers for a truck, which was said to have impeded the smooth operations.

“They assured the Port Managers that such ugly practices will be seriously looked into and will never resurface again, given the collaboration objectives.

“The Tincan Island Port Manager expressed gratitude over the visit of Prince Adeyanju, saying that since he (Sylvester) assumed office, this was the first time the number one maritime labour leader was paying him a visit, even though, it was on the ground of the collaboration.

“The Collaboration also sensitized the Ports Managers on the collaboration on ticketing for the truckers within the ports premises; which of course, the collaboration seriously emphasized that it is the exclusive right of the Union as stipulated in its constitution as ticketing for its truckers is within the ports zones only and not for any external body outside the ports to come into the ports for such revenue drive as it’s against the ports regulations as the ports are regulated by the Federal Government of Nigeria as such, are not under the state or the local governments authority.

“The Apapa Port Manager, Mr. Charles Okaga, also raised and addressed some vital issues that have been negating port operations especially on the side of the truckers, which the port authority had also taken a very drastic decision about.

“He also said that it’s evident now that the ports access roads are averagely free from traffic congestions, but regretted that the e-call up systems is still not perfect, but said it must be rejigged for efficient and effective port operations and it is also important for the truckers to be sincere and disciplined in the course of their operations to ensure sanity in the port operations.

“In similar vein, the Commissioner of Police, Port Command, CP Lanre Ishola was also briefed about the challenges by truck drivers in the hands of security agencies particularly outside the ports zones, where outrageous extortions from truck drivers are at alarming rate. The collaboration appealed to the police chief to use his good office to check this anomaly confronting the truckers.

“In response, the police boss, said that anything beyond 200mtrs distance from the port area are not under his jurisdiction but that if such incident happens within the port, the matter should be reported to him directly.

“He, however promised to look into the allegations holistically and when and where found to be true, he would assist by taking the matter to the Lagos State Police Command. In same gesture, the CP of the Port Command also promised the collaboration to work the collaboration provided it is within the confines of the laws, this is given to the commitment of the collaboration on the welfare of the truck drivers and the robust package of condition of service.

“Prince Adeyanju on behalf of the collaboration BoT members in the entourage thanked the Commissioner of Police for the warm reception accorded them; and his genuine willingness to work and to cooperate with the collaboration towards ensuring a seamless trucking operational service within the ports premises.”