Shippers Council, FRSC Call On Ribadu To Intervene In Truck Destruction On Port Access Roads

The Nigerian Shippers Council(NSC) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) have jointly  called for the intervention of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to address the ongoing destruction of trucks and harassment of drivers by hoodlums on the port access roads across the country.

They made the appeal during a one-day sensitization programme organized by the NSC in collaboration with the FRSC, titled ‘Safe-To-Load On Nigerian Roads,’ held in Lagos on Wednesday.

Speaking at the event, the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, emphasized the need for a cleaner and safer environment in the trucking industry to attract investors.

He highlighted the significance of addressing the issues of extortion and destruction of trucks by hoodlums. “The haulage business is contributing to the economic development of the country. I think we need to also work together to bring the issue forward to the relevant authorities such as the office of the National Security Adviser, and other relevant bodies that can make the environment, the space cleaner and more attractive for other haulage business investors that want to come in to be able to invest and reap their investment without hindrance,” Mohammed stated.

The Executive Secretary of the NSC, Barrister Pius Akutah, also spoke on the matter, stressing the council’s commitment to engaging security agencies to address the violence against truck drivers and the destruction of their vehicles. He asserted that these acts should not be taken lightly and need to be tackled decisively.

“On the issue of vandalisation of vehicles, these are issues that are very important because we cannot listen to those kind of challenges and allow them to just be. These are issues that we need to tackle head-on. We cannot afford to have players in this sector who invest so much resources in these infrastructures to support economic activities, and we have hoodlums out there who set out to destroy and extort truck drivers and also to destroy this infrastructure,” Akutah said.

Akutah further highlighted the broader impact of such destruction on economic activities and the need for urgent action.

“Though it can be a truck owned by just one person, once it is operating within the value chain of the transport infrastructure to support trade and economic activities, it has become a critical infrastructure for us to look into the welfare and the security of these infrastructures. So, I guarantee you that Nigerian Shippers’ Council will not slip over these issues. We will do everything we can to engage all the stakeholders and security agencies to see what we can do in terms of providing security for this infrastructure. This issue, I understand, was also raised at some other forums. But today, I guarantee you that we will take all the discussions conclusively and see what we can do,” he assured.

The calls for intervention highlight the urgent need to protect the trucking industry and ensure the safety and security of drivers and their vehicles, which are essential to the nation’s economic infrastructure.

Speaking earlier, the secretary-general, Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Muhammed Sani, had sought the support of the council over incessant attacks on their drivers and trucks by hoodlums a d non state actors.

According to Sani, between January to August 2024, about six fatal accidents were induced by the the activities of hoodlums on the port access roads.

He said, “Shippers Council should assist truck owners to address insecurity against drivers in delivering cargoes to owners warehouse, state and non- state actors are seen vandalizing our trucks by smashing our windscreens and in lost cases destroying the our truck braking system thereby leading to crashes just to extort the drivers.

“Between January and August 2024, over six trucks fell leading to losses of several billions of naira. We need the support of NSC, ONSA, because the sector is eroding under the activities of hoodlums disrupting the ease of doing business at the ports.

“They are threats to Nigerian economy and the haulage business and the earlier we ha e interventions, the better for the sector,” Sani

On his part, Mr Kayode Odunowo, Lagos State Chairman of National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO),Kayode Odunowo argued that the prevalence of rickety trucks on port access roads is the fault of government agencies and the hoodlums.