The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has intervened and halted a planned strike by maritime truck owners over disruptions to cargo discharge at the country’s ports, as well as alleged extortion and vandalism of trucks by criminals on access roads to the ports.
NPA Managing Director, Abubakar Dantsoho said the country’s economy cannot be halted at this critical moment.
Mr. Dantsoho was represented by the Managing Director, Marine and Operations, Engr. Olalekan Badmus, who also represented the agency, said the agency would work with the Lagos State Government and the Police High Command to urgently address the concerns of truck drivers and prevent work stoppages.
“Consortium of Trucking Unions and Associations Under the Auspices of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) had issued an ultimatum to stop service to the maritime Industry over widespread cases of extortion and attacks on truckers by hoodlums and miscreants.
“In an interventionist move calculated to stop impending national economic shutdown, the managing director Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, on Monday, staved off the planned strike action by the Consortium of Trucking Unions and Associations Under the Auspices of the AMATO.
“Dantsoho, who was represented by the Managing Director, Marine, and Operations, Olalekan Badmus, during the meeting, addressed the seafarers, saying the maritime community represents a vital aspect of port logistics.
“We will work with the Lagos State Government and the Police High Command to urgently address your concerns and prevent any down tool by a critical aspect of the Ports logistics value chain that the Maritime Trucking Community constitutes. The national economy cannot afford any shutdown at this time,” Dantsoho said.
The meeting culminated in the signing of a communique on truckers’ grievances and the subsequent call-off of the planned strike action and was attended by the Special Adviser on Transport to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Sola Giwa, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and the Ports Authority. Chairman, National Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Directorate General of Police, Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, and Managing Director, LASTMA, Mr. Bakare Oki Olalekan.
Others present included Chairman, Corporate Truck Owners Association, Folake Soji George, Chairman, Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee (LASTOC), Lukman Shittu, heads of NURTW and RTEAN, and other industry leaders.
