-accuse NURTW, RTEAN, local council officials of extortion, harassment, maiming, murder of truck drivers( PHOTOS. Readers discretion is advised)

Funso OLOJO

The amalgamation of maritime truck operators has cried out for help and sought the urgent intervention of the federal government over what they described as intimidation, harassment, extortion and in extreme cases, maiming and killing of truckers by the hoodlums allegedly sponsored by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW,)Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and some Local governments in Lagos state.

In a statement read at the press briefing Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 in Lagos, the aggrieved truckers lamented that the activities of these commuter transport unions have destabilized the trucking business while some truckers have abandoned the trade.

Speaking through Mohammed Sani Bala, the Secretary of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), who signed the statement, the harassed truckers lamented that their businesses are gradually collapsing as a result of the ceaseless attacks by the hoodlums

“We gather here today 28/08/2924  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 the name of commuter associations like National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria( RTEAN) and some Local Governments that are threatening our lives, vandalizing our trucks, sabotaging our business and undermining Nigerian economy.

“As a result of the activities of these hoodlums across many roads and highways in Lagos State, our Drivers are being extorted, beaten, and killed.

“Our trucks are being vandalized and set ablaze by these hoodlums in an attempt to collect money from our drivers.

“They have caused the falling of many trucks carrying export and import goods worth billions of naira along Apapa/Tincan Ports corridor and ECOWAS corridor of Lagos Badagry express road where innocent citizens have been lost their lives including military and policemen thorough ghastly accidents induced by multiple checkpoints mounted by these hoodlums in their attempt to stop and extort Truck Drivers.

“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

“Nigeria’s trade facilitation, ease of doing business in the ports corridors and seamless evacuation of cargoes to and from the ports are imploding under the activities of hoodlums who apart from unlawful extortion, truck vandalization, causing traffic gridlock,  assaulting drivers and death, have nothing positive to contribute.

“The hostile transportation business environment created by these hoodlums is limiting the chances of Nigeria benefiting from the African Continental Free Trade Area ACFTA by discouraging foreign investors.

“Many logistics businesses are relocating from Lagos State due to the activities of these hoodlums. Our drivers are abandoning the driving profession due to daily harassment.

“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 is to let the federal government and the whole world know what we are going through and that enough is enough.

“We cannot continue to be working like elephant and be eating like ants.

“We cannot continue to labour for hoodlums to be collecting our hard-earned proceeds in this period of economic hardship coupled with the astronomical rise in the cost of trucking operations” the truckers groaned.

They therefore threatened that if nothing is done to address their problems, they would be left with no other option than to withdraw their services and disrupt port operations.

“On this note, if the Federal Government does not address the problem of hoodlums sabotaging our business, we are going to shut down port operations through withdrawal of our service until the Government addresses our challenges.

The truckers therefore urged the Federal Government to declare an outright ban on mounting roadblocks and checkpoints for toll collection on major highways in line with 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.

They also wanted the government to warn Commuter Bus Associations and Local Governments in Lagos State to refrain from stopping, harassing and imposing/selling their tickets or interfering with anything trucks as we truckers do not dabble into any of their affairs.

In conclusion, the truckers prayed the Federal Government to stop hoodlums from vandalizing their trucks, beating and extorting their drivers on the roads.