PORT TRUCKERS KICK AGAINST LASTCOC’S HARMONIZED DAILY TICKET, THREATENS TO SHUT DOWN APAPA, TINCAN PORTS
By Ambrose Obioma Okehi (News Emperor)
The Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA), the umbrella body of all trucking associations and transport unions in the Nigerian maritime industry, has rejected in its entirety the planned collection of the so-called “Harmonized Daily Ticket” by the Lagos State Trucks and Cargo Committee (LASTCOC) on the Apapa and Tincan Island port corridors.
COMTUA’s rejection comes in response to a media announcement by LASTCOC that it will commence collection of the ticket from 30th September, 2023.
In a press statement issued on Monday and signed by its National President, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, the group described the move as illegal, extortionist, provocative and a recipe for crisis on the already fragile port access roads.
“We have watched with keen interest in recent weeks how LASTCOC has been parading itself under the guise of ‘cleaning extortion points’ on the port corridors. It is now clear to us that the exercise was a fraudulent smokescreen to achieve a premeditated illegal agenda — to institutionalize the same extortion they claimed to be cleaning,” COMTUA said.
The council stated categorically that LASTCOC has no legal backing, no constitutional role and no operational mandate to collect any levy, toll or ticket on federal port access roads which are under the management of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
COMTUA listed its position as follows:
*1.* No form of ticket collection or enforcement by LASTCOC or any group will be tolerated on the port corridors.
*2.* Transport tickets are constitutionally meant to be sold inside motor garages, not on federal highways and certainly not on a transit port corridor.
*3.* Truckers in the ports are not members of LASTCOC and cannot be forced to patronize an illegal body.
The council disclosed that it has petitioned the Managing Director of the NPA and put the Authority on notice that any connivance, indulgence or failure to stop the illegality will be met with total resistance from truckers.
“We have maintained peace and supported all efforts to ensure free flow of traffic. This illegal tolling is capable of reversing all gains made through the ETO call-up system,” the statement added.
COMTUA warned that the NPA will be held responsible for any breakdown of law and order, withdrawal of services or shutdown of port operations that may arise from the illegal collection.
It therefore demanded that the NPA should publicly disassociate itself from LASTCOC, direct all security agencies to prevent them from operating on the port roads, and reaffirm that no group is authorized to collect tickets on the port corridors.
“We seek peace but we will not be cowed into illegality,” the union vowed.