Despite the use of an electronic call-up system to batch port-bound trucks into the Apapa and Tin-Can Island Ports in the last two years, the mounting of checkpoints by security personnel for the purpose of collecting illegal fees from truckers has continued to threaten the ease of doing business at the ports.
The collection of illegal fees at the multiple checkpoints that exist along the port corridors is taking a toll on haulage business and frustrating the implementation of the electronic call-up system.
It also hampers the ease of doing business at the ports as truckers waste man-hours due to the delays that sometimes add to the gridlock on the port roads and force importers to pay demurrage to the shipping companies and storage charges to terminal operators for not taking delivery of their consignments as and when due.
Richard Emenim, head of development at Trucks Transit Parks Ltd, the technology firm that manages the Eto App, said although the introduction of an electronic call-up system has helped to ease the movement of trucks at the port, illegal collection of fees from trucks and truck owners has remained a threat to ease of doing business.
According to him, imposing illegal fees on truckers not only results in the sabotage of the call-up system by encouraging truckers to park indiscriminately at pre-gates and on port access roads in search of terminal delivery orders, but also put additional cost on cargo owners.
BusinessDay findings show that truckers are forced to pay illegal fees at the checkpoints at the Total Bridge, Ijora-Olopa, Iganmu, Sifax, Area B, and others, and the security operatives still collect money from trucks with valid electronic call-up tickets.
This affects the means of livelihood of haulage operators as many spend half of their profits on paying their way in and out of the port.
It also has a cost implication on cargo owners as money spent by truckers on checkpoints is factored into the amount charged as the cost of haulage and threatens the stability of the electronic call-up systems for port-bound trucks.
On his part, Tony Anakebe, managing director of the Gold Link Investment Ltd, a Lagos-based clearing and forwarding firm, said although the number of checkpoints along the Ijora-Iganmu and the Wharf axis has reduced in the last two years of using the Eto call-up system, there is still at least three checkpoints along that corridor where truckers are compelled to part with money before they would be allowed into the ports, even with a valid electronic call-up ticket.
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According to him, the Mile 2-Second Gate axis has remained very challenging as there are still lots of checkpoints mounted by security personnel, area boys, and local government officials.
“Despite its attendant impact on the cost and ease of doing business at the port, there is no way mounting of checkpoints will stop within the port corridor because the authorities have not queried those behind them,” said Anakebe.
He, however, said the money spent on checkpoints has reduced to about N5,000-N10,000 per trip compared to the N80,000-N100,000 truckers used to pay per trip to gain access into the port prior to the introduction of the Eto call-up system.
Remi Ogungbemi, chairman of the Association Maritime Truck Owners, said extortion by security personnel has become “a parasite that eats up the proceeds of truckers”.
To him, different groups of people come up under different disguises claiming they have either state or federal governments’ approval to stop trucks on the way to collect fees from them.
“We have Customs in the port that examines cargo. It is after these cargoes have been inspected and released that truckers are called to come and lift the container. To our greatest surprise, we see Customs officers mount checkpoints a few meters from the port gate and they intercept trucks with containers. We have over 100 trucks that are littered in the Customs commands,” he said.
While commending the effort of the Port Task Team set up by the Nigerian Shippers’ Council in exposing those behind the extortion of truckers along the port corridors, Ogungbemi added that all hands must be on deck to eliminate extortion from the port.
