Truck drivers have drawn the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria as a matter of urgency, to address the menace of hoodlums who are working under name of commuter associations like National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria RTEAN and some Local Governments who threatens, vandalises trucks, sabotages their business undermining Nigerian economy.
The truck owners and operators under the aegis of Consortium of Truckers held a press conference on Thursday, 28th August 2024 at the hall of the Association of Maritime Trucks Owners (AMATO) at Apapa Wharf.
Addressing the members, the president of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi said that “The main objective of the gathering is about finding a way for truckers to speak with one voice and also to seek to furthering the acts of professionalism in the business of trucking while also protecting their business from the various external factors.
According to his statement, “We gather here today to draw the the attention of the Federal Government of Nigeria as a matter of urgency, to address the menace of hoodlums who are working under name of commuter associations like the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and some Local Governments that are threatening our lives, vandalising our trucks, sabotaging our business and undermining the Nigerian economy”.
“As a result of the activities of these hoodlums across many roads and highways in Lagos State, our drivers have money being extorted from them, beaten and killed. Our trucks are being vandalised and set ablaze by these hoodlums ina attempts to collect money from our drivers. They have caused the falling of many trucks carrying export and import goods worth billions of naira along the Apapa/Tincan Ports corridor and the ECOWAS corridor of Lagos Badagry express road where innocent citizens have also lost their lives. The lost lives include those from the military and police and they were killed through ghastly accidents induced by multiple checkpoints mounted by these hoodlums in their attempts to stop and extort money from truck drivers”.
The board of trustees chairman of LASTCOC, Mr. Moruf added that they have informed the Lagos State government of their challenged as regards the issue of extortion and that they have set an ultimatum of 14 days for the issue to be sorted out or they embark on the drastic action of withdrawing their services.
The truckers vehemently stated that while the 14 days grace period lasts that they shall start a peaceful protest next week in order to send home their requests which include:
1. Federal Government should declare an outright ban on the mounting of road blocks and checkpoints for toll collection on major highways in line with the sections of the Taxes and Levies act 2004 which prohibits any person, including a Tax Authority from mounting a Road block in any part of the Federation for the purposes of collecting any Tax or Levy.
2. Commuter Bus Associations and Local Governments in Lagos State to refrain from stopping, harassing and imposing/selling their tickets or interfering with anything truck as truckers do not dabble into any of their affairs.
3. Federal Government should stop hoodlums from vandalizing our trucks, beating and extorting money from our drivers on the roads.
They also lamented on the collapse of their business which they said is affecting their lives badly.
"Our business is collapsing, we can no longer put our trucks in good shape and comply with minimum safety standards due to endless attacks on our trucks by hoodlums
The truck operators are obviously angry that their business growth is being impeded by acts of extortion and racketeering and that the relevant authorities seem to have left them to their fate. They therefore decided to focus on taking the bull by the horn and rousing the authorities out of their lethargic posture to take the necessary action of protecting truckers and their trucks on all Lagos roads.
"We have written several letters to the Lagos State Government, the State Police Command and the DSS without any solution in view. Hence our convergence here today to let the Federal Government and the whole world know what we are passing through and enough is enough.
"We call on President Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, National Security Adviser, the Director General of DSS, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and Chairmen of National Assembly Committees on Maritime Transport Affairs to come to the rescue of Maritime Transport Operators and our national economy and truckers from extortion bandits masking under NURTW, RTEAN and Local Government workers to inflict economic loss and hardship on hardworking citizens".
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