Managing Complicities and Conspiracies Among Truckers And Ports Security Officials

By Oyeniyi Iwakun

Corruption and illicit practices in the Maritime industry has become a major headache over the years as patriotic stakeholders have always been at the fore front to advocate for a change of attitude in order to restore sanity to the system. These corrupt acts have created major bottlenecks that had impeded the progress of the industry among the comity of maritime nations of the world.

The Apapa gridlock is a major manifestation of the illicit act that has created undue advantage for extortion around the ports axis. It is no more news to any industry stakeholders that the Joint Task Force (JTF) expected to ensure sanity and orderliness at the ports environment, especially via traffic control and discipline have become Joint Corrupt Force (JCT) because of their high level of disposition to bribes, intimidation and extortion of truck drivers  as reported by MMS Plus sometimes late 2017.

It is expected that this menace would have reduced to the barest minimum or possibly sent into extinction, based on the consistent outcry and condemnation of the acts by some industry stakeholders but events seem to have rather taken another dimension with a renewed strategy of legitimizing and perpetuating the act.

In the penultimate week, the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) chairman, Chief Remi Ogungbemi had alleged that truck drivers are being subjected to unbearable inhuman treatments by security agencies. According to him, any driver who refuses to cooperate would be framed up with traffic offences, charged to court and if possible convicted. This he said wasn’t acceptable to AMATO as it would retard the progress of the industry.

He explained to MMS Plus that some security officers attached to Banks and even those not on duty approached the drivers to demand their share, “inducements” before the trucks could move, else, they would be brutalized and subsequently detained, indicted and charged to court.

This of course, appears to be the trend of time in the industry today.

Astonishingly, some unidentified groups stormed the AMATO headquarters on Thursday, last week to attack the AMATO chairman and accused him of what they termed “conspiracy with Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and the Navy to introduce the call up system.”

The questions are: Who is behind this attack? What is the rationale behind the affront? Does it mean that the drivers and others are comfortable with the deplorable and lugubrious state of the ports? Is this a nod for the gridlock and extortion to continue? Does it mean that the said protesters do not understand what is meant by call up system or someone is out there haunting the AMATO chairman?

Speaking with MMS Plus on the incident, Chief Ogungbemi explained that he was in his office when he saw a crowd that trooped in. With the impression that the people were on a mission to express their displeasure over the new NPA’s policy on empty containers holding bays, he had picked the megaphone to calm them down to explain what the policy really meant and how it could be beneficial. But he was shocked to realize that they were on a diffident mission.

Noting that some rival associations that feel threatened by the accelerated growth and objective approach to issues by AMATO are out there, trying everything possible to bring the down the union, Chief Ogungbemi said he would remain undeterred in ensuring that the association grows on the path of truth in order to improve the Nigerian maritime industry even as he alleged that his life was under threat.

“I felt very bad about it and I know that it is the hand work of the detractors who are envying all that we are doing in AMATO. They gathered round me, recorded me on video, put me on social media and accused me of connivance with NPA, Police and Navy, despite all I have been doing to advocate and assist them. If I can be so attacked, it then means that some mischief makers are behind it. They are going about, tarnishing my image and instigating people against me.

“It is a known fact that some people have been benefiting from the extortion but with the efforts of the Nigerian Navy for the past two months the problem is becoming resolved. So these people are not happy. They feel that I am working with the Navy to destroy their businesses. That’s why they are going to the extreme to ensure that the situation reversed for them to continue their evil acts.” He said.

When quizzed further on the reason he felt some of the drivers could be interested in returning to the status quo “the gridlock era”, the AMATO Boss explained that some of the drivers also see it as an avenue to extort their bosses. According to him, some drivers willingly approach the security officials, and offer them bribe so that they can have their ways to the port. They will then in turn inflate the amount given to the said security personnel when they get to their bosses.

“If for instance they pay N5000 to the security agent, they will tell their bosses that they paid N20,000.” He said

MMS Plus findings revealed that there are forces behind the issue and are ready to destroy whoever wants to block their ways. Both the truck drivers and Security agencies are complicit in the act and should be dealt with in accordance with the law.

Effective communication skills should be developed so that everyone in the industry would understand any formulated policy (ies) so as to forestall a situation of misconception of ideas that could lead to chaos. All stakeholders should work together and ensure adequate sensitization of staff on major issues in the industry.