Truckers under the aegis of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) have resolved to extend the 12 day ultimatum they originally gave the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) by three days to fix the dilapidated ports access roads in the country.
The association had on September 15 issued a 12-day ultimatum to NPA, the Lagos State government and other concerned agencies threatening that it would withdraw its member’s trucks from the port by September 26 if nothing significant is done to fix the dilapidated port access roads.
Speaking with SHIPS & PORTS DAILY yesterday after a meeting of the association, Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi said his members have agreed to extend the ultimatum by three days due to the prompt response and assurance by NPA to mobilise contractors to fix some portions of the bad roads.
He said, “We are mellowing down. NPA has promised that by tomorrow (today) they will start doing something on the road. So we are giving them another three days to see what they will do.
“They are making effort and commitment to some contractors and they have promised to give it priority but we still want to see a convincing situation that they are doing something,” he said.
Ogungbemi said NPA cannot be clamouring for minimum standard of trucks while the roads are in deplorable condition.
He appealed to other stakeholders to join the truckers “to collectively address the problem”, noting that the bad condition of the road has become a national issue.