By Innocent Orok
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), has appealed to a coalition of truck owners and maritime workers to suspend their planned strike over extortion allegations against the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and Special Traffic Management Committee and Enforcement Team.. The truckers had on Monday given the Lagos State government a three- day ultimatum to disband the two committees and release all impounded trucks or face industrial action.
The strike action slated to begin Thursday, would have seen truck owners withdrawal their services from the ports in protest. The NSC’s appeal was made on Tuesday during a meeting with the leadership of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Dr. Akutah Pius Ukeyima said the Council’s intervention is aimed at preventing a shutdown of port operations, which would have severe economic implications for the country. The NSC, ES who was represented by the Director Inland Transport Services, Mustapha Zubairu, said that the Council has received a complaint from AMATO relating to consistent harassment and intimidation of their members by the Joint State Task Force. He promised to organize a meeting with the Lagos State Government to address the grievances of the truck owners.
The NSC boss reiterated the Council’s commitment to work with the Lagos State government to provide a lasting solution to the challenges faced by the truck owners.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mohammed Sani Bala, highlighted the key demands of the truck owners to include: the disbandment of the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicles and the Special Traffic Management Committee and Enforcement Team in Apapa, unconditional release of all trucks impounded by the aforementioned committees or any related state agencies, and the permission to remove their trucks in the event of breakdowns, in line with an understanding already reached with the National Towing Vehicles Operators Association (NTVOA).
The President General of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju also expressed the readiness of the associations to work for a lasting solution to the challenges of the truck owners.
