The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) said yesterday that it has relaxed the withdrawal of service it embarked upon on Monday.
The truck owners had on Monday commenced an indefinite strike over deplorable port access roads, which it said had not only damaged trucks of its members but also claimed lives.
Chairman AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi told SHIPS & PORTS DAILY Tuesday evening that the decision to relax the strike was reached at a meeting between port stakeholders
He said, “Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) said they will mobilise contractors to begin work on the bad portions of the road so we want to observe and assess the situation. If it is acceptable to us, we will then suspend it.
“We have just relaxed the withdrawal of service to allow the management of NPA and Nigerian Shippers Council do what they say they want to do between now and tomorrow. We did not suspend the strike, we just relaxed it,” he said.
However in a separate interview, National Publicity Secretary, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Kayode Farinto said the service withdrawal of licensed customs agents will continue.
He said, “The President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu and founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam met with the NPA Managing Director yesterday so we are going to review the strike action tomorrow (today) and by 12noon, we will come out with a position whether we will continue or not. But for now, the withdrawal of service is still on.”
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