Coming on the heels of the 90-day ultimatum issued to Nigeria by the United States (U.S.) Coast Guard over the compliance of the International Ships and Ports Security (ISPS) Facility Code, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Transport, has ordered the immediate evacuation of haulage trucks from the port access roads.
Speaking at the secretariat of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) in Lagos, chairman of the group, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, confirmed that the evacuation will commence this week.
Consequently, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has directed its members to ensure compliance with the directive to avoid their trucks being impounded.
Ogungbemi directed that truck owners should take advantage of the newly-acquired expanse land at the Trade Fair Complex along Badagry Expressway to relocate their trucks.
“There is a marching order that they want all the trucks evacuated from the roads. Individual members having trucks that litter the roads both at Tincan and Apapa Ports should go to Trade Fair and park.
“We will not want a situation where they will bring their jamboree way of doing things, bringing black maria, or shooting at sight or damaging our vehicles, we don’t want that to happen. We are human beings that can communicate and can be communicated to. We will on our own tell our members to start moving these trucks”
However, General Secretary of AMATO, Mr. Chiaka Nwogu, warned that the marching order is not from the association but from the Federal Government.
According to him, the directive is a welcome idea because it will further portray Nigeria to the U.S. Coast Guard and the entire world as a compliant nation.
Chiaka said that the Minister of Transport, Senator Idris Umar, and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has been notified of a general inspection to take place by weekend and that the port access roads must be rid of hindrances.
“Nigeria is about to go into another round of test. By Saturday, they will come to inspect and we want to pass the test because if we fail, it is going to affect everybody. If ships do not come into our ports, we will not have anything to carry,” he said.
