Trouble for COMTUA as DSS, ICPC, other agencies seek evidence for allegation against PSTT.

 

The leadership of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) has threatened to take up the case of false allegation against the members of the task team by the the leader of Committee of Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA).

 

Speaking on the recent allegations of corruption and extortion levelled against it by truckers, the team which consists of security agencies, may not take the allegation lightly against COMTUA.

 

Speaking to newsmen on Friday, the Coordinator of the task team, Mr. Moses Fadipe expressed shock at such allegation which it described as baseless and libelous.

 

Recall that COMTUA had accused the team of indirectly benefitting from the fees paid by truck owners and drivers to t truck park where that are parked when arrested for violating traffic regulations rules at a recent function in Lagos.

 

COMTUA leader, Mr Adeyinka Aroyewun stated that the task team used third party to extort truckers.

 

Speaking on the development, National Coordinator of PSTT, Mr Moses Fadipe said that security agencies at high levels are not happy with the allegation especially because their officials are members of the team.

 

According to him, he has been invited and are digging deep into the matter to find out the truth saying the accuser will be invited to give evidence or proof of allegation in the matter.

 

 

He added that the case is currently being handled by the officers and men of the State Security Services.

 

 

He quipped that the allegation was pointedly made to blackmail the group which he said had never been involved any of such case before even as he said their mode of operation does not allow for anyone to collect kickbacks.

 

 

“I don’t believe any of my men are accomplices to the allegations COMTUA has made because there are monitors within monitors, and some of the officials are changed regularly. The officials are equally facing a lot of threats in and outside the port on daily basis.

 

“I know which duty and beat that any member is working at every time, we have specific hours of duty, if anyone is found wanting, it is easy to catch such a person. We don’t walk alone, whenever you our team outside, all the agencies are always on ground and you would see the inscription on their vehicles, it is a convoy assignment” he said.

 

Fadipe further disclosed that COMTUA was in the habit of violating port rules, and coming behind the back to pressure PSTT to free their trucks, stressing that “One of such violation is a truck belonging to COMTUA, which was recently arrested with double plate numbers.

 

“The PSTT has written officially to the media house and to the proponent of the story which is the COMTUA President, asking them to within three days confirm the story, retract it, or give a evidence. After the three days elapsed, both have refused to heed the demand of the PSTT.

 

“At that point, I wrote to all the security apparatus under the PSTT, intimating them of the publication. Two weeks after, I got a call from the DSS at Shangisha Command, Lagos. On getting there, they showed me the same publication and interrogated me.
I believe that, for them to have invited me, every party to this story would be invited by the DSS.

 

 

Speaking further, he said “The allegation is that the PSTT uses a third party facility to detain trucks, and by extension, all the proceeds of that third party facility has a way of flowing back to the PSTT. We challenged them to prove it, because the facility does not belong to us.

 

“When your truck is apprehended for obstruction, the first approach is to direct the driver to move away. However, most of the trucks park on the access road without the drivers inside. When this is the case, the PSTT would tow the truck.

 

“The next thing is to take you to a truck park closer to where you are arrested, we use different truck parks which COMTUA is referring as third party facility. The truck park would never release you until the PSTT okay it.

“While you are at the park, the FRSC would engage you and check your documents, if not valid, they all have fine. After updating your documents, you would write a letter of undertaking that you would not do that again. This letter could be written by the company or the truck manager.

 

“Every truck apprehended by FRSC are issued remmital forms, you go to the bank and pay directly to the TSA Account. After this, you come back to write the letter of undertaking and attach everything. Without the park owners seeing a complete document and our authority,they won’t release the truck

 

“The park charge daily for the number of days truck staying there and PSTT has nothing to do with this.

 

“Majority of the trucks we are arresting do not have papers, some of them have not updated their documents for the past fifteen years” he said.

 

Fadipe argued that “Before we started this process, we called all the truckers association and we all agreed to these process. They even agreed that anyone that called for special favour should be turned down.

 

Comrade Fadipe also gave a vivid explanation on the process of arresting a truck causing obstruction at the port, and the attendant penalties attached.

 

“After the accusations (by COMTUA), I still have evidences here whereby trucks belonging to this association were arrested with two plate numbers. They came to write a letter of appeal to me here, asking me to release the trucks and that it two days time, they would come and sort it out.As I speak with you, I have pushed the matter to the police to investigate it out.

 

“Using two plate numbers means that, when a truck commits an infraction, the number would be quickly changed to another one.

 

“Personally, I have suffered two physical attacks, and it is God that saved my life because many of them have been calling and we have been turning them down.”

 

 

The PSTT which was inaugurated by the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo in 2020 comprises Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) , Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Department of State Security (DSS) and the Nigerian Shippers’Council as lead agency to execute the contents of the Nigerian Port Process Manual (NPPM)