Truckers threaten service withdrawal over extortion, killing of drivers vandalization of vehicles

... Issue 14-day ultimatum

Truckers operating in the maritime industry have given a 14- day ultimatum to the federal government over the incessant attacks on truck drivers, extortion and vandalization of trucks by hoodlums.

The truckers threathened to withdraw their services at the expiration of the ultimatum if the government fails to address and put a stop to the menace of hoodlums threatening their lives and sabotaging their business.

Speaking at a meeting of various truck unions and associations in Lagos on Wednesday, Chairman of Lagos State Truck and Cargo Committee, LASTCOC, Lukman Shittu Zangalo expressed concern over the number of drivers that have lost their lives in the hands of hoodlums attempting to extort them.

He noted that the haulage business is a critical sector that plays a vital role in the nation’s economy, but the increasing attacks on drivers have made it difficult for operators to do business.

He said, “The Maritime truck operators are among largest employers of Labour in Nigeria. We contribute to the GDP growth of our nation. We work 24 hours under the sun and in the rain to feed our national economy for growth and development.

“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 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 police men 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.

“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 astronomical rise in cost of trucking operations.

“On this note if Federal Government does not address the problem of hoodlums sabotaging our business within the next 7 to 14 days we are going to shut down ports operations through withdrawal of our service until Government addresses our challenges.

“We are through this medium making a clarion call to Mr. President, 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.”

Vice President, Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Sani Bala said 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.

According to him, many logistics businesses are relocating from Lagos State due to the activities of these hoodlums while their members are abandoning 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 to let the Federal Government and the whole world know what we are passing through and enough is enough, ” he said.

One of the drivers, Eniola Abiola, who recounted how he was attacked by hoodlums said tthey pay as much as N80,000 at each checkpoint mounted from Mile 2 to Agbara, and Ikorodu.

He said, “When we collect our dispatch, we spend almost 90 percent on area boys. We’re working but losing at the same time.”

Abiola appealed to the Lagos State government to intervene and stem the ugly trend.

“We can no longer drive with ease of mind. I implore the government to look into our matter and find a solution to this problem,” he said.

The truckers urged the Federal Government to declare an outright ban of mounting of road blocks 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.

“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.

“Federal Government should stop hoodlums from vandalizing our trucks, beating and extorting our drivers on the roads.”