A standing intervention committee meant to check the alleged cases of extortion of truck drivers by security operatives at the port entrances in Lagos has been constituted by the management of Western Ports, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
The intervention committee, which is under the Chairmanship of the General Manager of Western Ports, Chief Michael Ajayi, was set up to address the fears of truckers unions on the alleged cases of extortion along port access roads within the Lagos ports corridor.
The members of the committee were drawn from the NPA, truckers unions, fleet operators and security agencies.
Truckers unions represented on the committee include Truck Owners Unions, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Joint Council of Seaport Truck Operators (JACOST), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Road Transport Employees association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Truck Drivers Unit of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN).
Chief Ajayi explained that the composition of the committee became necessary following repeated complaints by truck drivers on extortion by security operatives at the ports entrance.
Assuring that the committee would verify all such allegations, Ajayi said it was determined to refer any erring security agency found involved in illegal acts to the appropriate law enforcement agencies “for necessary action”.
It would be recalled that truck drivers operating at the ports in Lagos have expressed concerns over extortion by the security agencies at the port.
The truckers, who blamed extortion for the unending vehicular traffic in the Apapa area, alleged that the frequent cases of the extortion has made loading at the ports a nightmare for both drivers and transport agents.
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