Truck Owners, Freight Forwarders Protest Over Poor State of Apapa Roads

Truck owners and freight forwarders at the Tin Can Island and Apapa ports have threatened to down tools on Monday barring a last minute intervention.

The truck owners under the auspices of the Amalgamation of Trucking Associations with Other Stakeholders in Maritime Industry (ATOSMI) are protesting the deplorable condition of Apapa roads.

A statement signed by ATOSMI chairman, Comrade Victor Nnyosum, lamented that the state of the Tin Can/Apapa roads was responsible for the destruction of trucks, goods and even loss of lives.

Nnyosum noted that their resolution to down tools had been sent to the director-general of NIMASA, Dr Dakuku Perterside; executive secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello; and managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman.

The workers stated that the strike would last till the Apapa roads get fixed by the government.

In a related development, the national publicity secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Kayode Farinto, has declared ANLCA’s full support for the withdrawal of services by the port workers.

According to the Sun, a similar notice of strike action over the state of the Apapa roads had been sent to the government by another group, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF).

The letters threatening strike action is said to have prompted the Comptroller General of Customs, Colonel Hameed Ali, to request a meeting to appease the groups.