Truckers under the aegis of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) have accused the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of killing haulage business with indiscriminate seizure of container carrying trucks. This is even as the group revealed that over 500 trucks belonging to different truckers are languishing away in various Customs warehouses after being arrested.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting hosted by the Honourable Minister of State for Transportation, Gbemisola Saraki for maritime associations and unions in Lagos, Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi wondered why the Customs will continue seizing trucks carrying containers that contain illegal goods, but allow ships that brought such containers to the Nigerian ports to go scot free?
According to Chief Remi Ogungbemi, “As we speak, over 500 trucks are tied down at different Customs formations over claims that if they (Customs) must arrest an illegal goods, the means of conveyance must also be arrested.
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“Many of our members have run out of business over this action by men of the Nigeria Customs Service. Many are already indebted to banks because these trucks were purchased through bank loans. With these trucks under different forms of arrest by Customs, many of our members cannot service these bank loans, and are already in trouble over this.
“Anytime Customs impound a container carrying contraband, the truck that is carrying this container is arrested and taken to their warehouse. If we ask them why they will arrest a truck that carried a container from the port, the Customs will tell us that the law allows them to arrest both the container and the means of conveyance.
“But the same Customs forgets that these containers were brought to the ports by a ship. The ship that brought these containers to the ports are allowed to go scot free while the truck that is looking for what to eat through carriage of goods at the port is arrested for an offence he knows nothing about.
“We are haulage operators and feed our family through carriage of goods at the ports. When we want to negotiate with an importer, it is what the importer tells us that he is carrying that we believe. There is no law in Nigeria today that compels a cargo owner to open his container for truckers to examine before such container is carried on a truck.
“When Customs officers now stop such container and open it as part of their mandate, if it is found to be carrying illegal goods, the container and the truck is arrested. They (Customs) will say the means of conveyance must be arrested, but the container did not disappear into the ports. A ship brought it there. Why must a ship that brought in a container carrying contraband be allowed to go free, while a truck that is looking for business by carrying it, is arrested?
“Many of our trucks are wasting away in different Customs warehouses under arrest and their owners indebted to various banks over unserviceable loans collected to buy these trucks. Madam Minister, please help us to intervene in this matter. Customs is killing haulage businesses at the ports.”
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