Members of the Amalgamation of Trucking Associations with Other Stakeholders in Maritime Industry (ATAOSMI) on Monday withdrew their services from the Lagos ports and bonded terminals to press their demand for the fixing of dilapidated port roads .
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the association constituted a task force team which picketed the terminals to instill order among its members.
The operators had, on Sunday, promised to withdraw their services from Monday in Lagos to make the Federal Government fix ports access roads.
The action, meant to paralyse activities in the Lagos ports and bonded terminals, had reduced human and vehicular traffic in the ever busy Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.
At the TICT terminal gate at Tin-can Second Gate, the task-force apprehended violators of the exercise, while at the SDV terminal, the story was the same with pockets of vehicles impounded.
Commenting on the action, Mr Remi Ogungbemi, Chairman, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMTO), said it was long overdue.
“A notice of withdrawal of service was signed by the Chairman of the Amalgamation, Mr Victor Nnyosum, and sent to stakeholders in Apapa.”
`We are not in any way embarking on illegality as all loopholes have been blocked before now,” Ogungbemi said.
According to him, the body resolved to commence withdrawal of service following the deterioration of the Tin Can/Apapa roads.
He said that the road had claimed lives, damaged trucks, goods on transit and responsible for high cost of doing business at the ports.
He noted that the action would be indefinite until the roads were fully rehabilitated.
The Management of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) on Monday met with the stakeholders in Lagos to bring the situation under control.
The National Publicity Secretary of Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Dr Kayode Farinto, confirmed that ANLCA fully supported the strike.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing said in 2015 that Apapa road rehabilitation was not in the 2015 budget and promised to include it in the 2016 budget. (NAN)