Exporters frustrating NPA E-call-up, abandon trucks on port access roads ― Official

The consulting firm contracted by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to help manage the E-call-up system, Transit Truck Park (TTP) has accused exporters of frustrating the seaport E-call-up system by deliberately abandoning trucks on the ports access roads over incomplete documentation process.

Speaking on Tuesday with the Nigerian Tribune exclusively, the Chief Operating Officer of TTP, Mr Dayo Adeboye explained that many of the exporters deliberately left their trucks on the roads to go and complete their documentation process, thereby creating the bottlenecks oçcasioned along the ports access roads.

According to Mr. Adeboye, “when we saw many of the trucks on the ports access roads, our findings revealed that many of them are carrying export cargoes and that their documentations were not complete. The trucks were released to go into the ports, but due to incomplete documentation, they could not access the ports. Now, instead of returning to their parks and garages, the exporters left the trucks on the roads to go and complete their documentation. This is wrong.

“It is either they have not completed their Customs documentation or done their container checks documentation. Most left their trucks on the roads and went to process their documentation.

“So, in the morning of today (Tuesday), we have told them to either return to their various parks or their trucks will be towed away. We have even had to shut down the E-call-up portal to stop further booking because of this problem. It is not true that the E-call-up system collapsed, we shut it down to stop further booking because exporters who have booked and are supposed to enter the ports are leaving their trucks on the roads because of incomplete documentation.”

Recall that truck and tanker drivers on Monday stormed the Oshodi-Apapa and Ijora-Apapa expressways, following unconfirmed reports of the collapse of the electronic Call-up system machine, resulting in total gridlock, as residents and motorists got stranded for several hours.

The situation was worsened as traffic law enforcement agents abandoned control to miscreants and officials of port unions.

The traffic, which started building up mid-morning on Monday, worsened at noon, stretching from Ijesha to Berger Yard, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, while the Ijora-Apapa to Area B, inward Nigerian Ports Authority, was also shut down, due to the high influx of truckers.

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