The Council for Maritime Truck Union’s and Association has issued the Nigerian government 21 days to address the perennial gridlock at Apapa port axis or face industrial action by its members.
The President of COMTUA, Thompson Olaleye, told Financial Street on Wednesday that the lack of solution for the problem has led to the ultimatum.
He said the lack of enforcement of the call-up system would further compound the gridlock along the ports corridor.
Olaleye called on the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority to introduce enforcement methodology and mechanism as measures to tackle the perennial traffic along the port axis.
He faulted the immediate disbandment of the Kayode Opeifa-led Presidential Taskforce Team on Apapa Traffic for the electronic call-up system by NPA.
The PTT, he added, would have synergised with the operators of Transit Truck Park as the enforcement arm in traffic management along the port corridors.
He maintained that lack of proper coordination, control and enforcement of truckers by relevant government agencies, especially as it concerns the absence of Nigerian Police Force, worsened the traffic situation in Apapa and environs.
“Opeifa had passion for this job and I can say it anywhere. The man was not collecting money from anybody; that is why I feel said anytime I read it in the papers that people are accusing him. People can use any name to do anything, but not Opeifa, Odumosu, not even Suleiman. That may be why most of the union members came to me and started agitating that we should tell the Presidency to bring the enforcement team. There was no synergy between them.
“Meanwhile, PTT had already understood the system. They should have allowed it to nurture them and show them the way. All these things we are experiencing would have been a thing of the past because it was Opeifa that suggested that there should be TTP,” he said.
He also disclosed that the council of truckers would issue a seven-day ultimatum to the management of NPA in furtherance to resolve the menacing gridlock along the port corridors.
