The Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has deeply expressed concerned about the fraudulent activities of Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP) in collaboration with the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in extorting truckers through the call-up system introduced to decongest the Ports area.
In a statement signed by the National President, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, the association averred that “The management of the Nigerian Ports Authority continues to remain criminally silent, obviously in connivance with Truck Transit Park Limited (TTP) to extort Truckers and sabotage the efforts of government to achieve reduction in haulage fees.
COMTUA added that “It is no longer a news that TTP has been collecting “Matching fees” of #10,000 on empty containers and TDO, on top of the #11,000 booking fee mandated by NPA. This additional fee has been imposed on nearly 3,000,000 trucks since the inception of the call-up system, resulting in significant financial burden on truckers and ultimately causing hike in haulage fees. On this alone, over #30 Billion have been stolen.
“Furthermore, TTP has fraudulently collected over #2 billion Naira through POS transactions at Kirikiri, in 2021 without the knowledge or authorization of NPA. This blatant disregard for transparency and accountability is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.
“Additionally, the imposition of a 5% charge on every transaction through the financial operator of the system is unjust and further exploits truckers who are already struggling to navigate the challenges of operating in the Ports area.
“At every available opportunity, we report these to the Nigerian Ports Authority which have often dismissed our claims without further investigation.
“We calls on the relevant authorities to investigate these fraudulent activities and hold those responsible accountable.
“Truckers play a crucial role in the transportation of goods and commodities, and it is imperative that we are not subjected to unfair practices that undermine our livelihoods.
“This is not merely about truckers; the final consumer bears the cost.
The federal government is working day and night to reduce prices of good and make life easy for citizens while NPA and TTP formed a destructive cartel of the good intentions of Mr President.
“We urge the public to stand with us in condemning these actions and demanding justice for truckers who have been unjustly exploited by TTP and NPA. Together, we can ensure a fair and transparent system that benefits all stakeholders involved in the transportation industry,” COMTUA noted.
