Why we desperately struggle to access the ports —Truckers

Some truck drivers and owners have revealed that aside the economic gain, insincerity and favoritism bedeviling the call-up system of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) compels many of them to stop at nothing to gain access into the ports. This is even as the truckers predicted that the call-up system recently embarked upon by the NPA will not work due to its manual nature.

According to some of the truckers who spoke exclusively to the Nigerian Tribune, favoritism on the part of security officials mandated to carry out the call-up system will definitely rear its ugly head again because the NPA has failed to implement an automated call-up system.

“The last time the call-up system was introduced last year, it did not work because trucks belonging to corporate organisations like Dangote, BUA, and Flourmills get favoured ahead of privately owned trucks.

“You will be on the queue for weeks, and still see long stretch of corporate trucks driving via one-way into the ports in the dead of the night. In such scenario, truckers are then forced to bribe their way into the ports too because what is good for the geese is also good for the gender.

“Yes, if I get into the ports, I will see businesses that will cover the cost of bribing my way into the ports, but that is not the major reason why we bribe our way into the ports. The major reason is the favoritism that exist in the NPA coordinated call-up system.

“Now, they (NPA) have started another call-up system which is manually based. How are we sure that the corporate trucks won’t get the nod again? The manual call-up system will be coordinated by human beings, unlike the globally approved automated type that is electronically coordinated.

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“With human to human contact expected with the manual call-up system, favoritism will set in,” a truck driver who identified himself as Bode Olawummi told Nigerian Tribune exclusively.

In a separate chat, a truck owner, Ahmed Tijani explained that most times, security officials, in their bid to perpetuate mischief, remind private truck owners that the Wharf road was built by the owners of the corporate trucks.

“They (security officials) will tell you that the owners of the corporate trucks reconstructed the wharf road, so they should get favoured in the call-up system. Now the NPA has commenced a manual form of call-up system, I have my doubts about its efficacy because of the human contact that will be there. When we initially heard that the NPA is coming up with a call-up system, we thought they would have learned their lessons from last year, and that they were going to introduce an electronic call-up system.

“With this manual call-up system, I seriously have my doubts about its efficacy. My trucks won’t stand in the queue or yard for months while some other trucks are allowed into the ports at will. If they (corporate firms) like, they should build the ports, we are in the haulage industry to earn a living,” Ahmed Tijani told the Nigerian Tribune.