Eromosele Abiodun
Truck and tanker drivers in Apapa, Lagos, have pleaded with the federal government to immediately extend the tenureof the Presidential Task Team set up two weeks ago to remove trucks from port access roads and restore sanity, warning that not doing so would worsen the situation.
General Coordinator, Council of Maritime Truck Unions Association (COMTUA), and General Manager Operations, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Steven Okafor made the call on behalf of his colleagues at a joint press conference with the Task Team and other stakeholders at the port.
He said, “I want to use this opportunity to thank the federal government and the Task Team for the wonderful job they have done so far. We are not on the payroll of any government; we are private sector operators, so we say things the way they are. If they are not telling the press the truth, then we will tell you the truth. “We were the ones who petitioned the former task force because of the huge extortion. Our happiness today is that the government has involved the unions in the task team, which never happened before; we are glad and will continue to give the government kudos.
“We cannot compare what the task team achieved in two weeks to any effort put in place in the last few years. We are requesting that the task team’s tenure be extended so that they can completely sanitise the system. Without that, we will go back to where we were or even worse, we need to stabilise what we have now and sustain what they have achieved. Government should please help us and make sure that they extend their tenure.”
Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Presidential Task Team and former Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State, Mr. Kayode Opeifa stated that the team had achieve the goals set out in its terms of reference outlined by the government when it was set up two weeks ago.
