The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has appealed to the consortium of trucking unions and associations under the auspices of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) to stop the planned strike action.
Abubakar Dantsoho, managing director of the NPA, led the discussion between the Ports Authority, the trucking association and other stakeholders resulting in the truckers putting an end to the impending national economic shutdown.
Appealing to the maritime workers during the meeting, Dantsoho who was represented by Olalekan Badmus, executive director of Marine & Operations, said the NPA will work with the Lagos State Government and the Police High Command to address truckers’ concerns urgently.
He promised that reaching an agreement with every stakeholder would prevent any down tool by a critical aspect of the port logistics value chain that the maritime trucking community constitute.
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“The national economy cannot afford any shutdown at this time,” he said.
The meeting, which culminated in the signing of a communique addressing the truckers’ grievances and subsequent suspension of planned strike action, had in attendance Sola Giwa, special adviser on Transportation to the Lagos State Governor, Lagos Commissioner of Police and the Port Authority Police Command; Remi Ogungbemi, national president of AMATO; Bakare Oki Olalekan, general manager of LASTMA; Folake Soji George, chairperson of the Corporate Fleet Truck Owners Association; Lukman Shittu, chairman of Lagos State Truck & Cargo Operators’ Committee (LASTOC), and leaders of NURTW and RTEAN among other industry leaders.
The consortium of trucking unions and associations under the auspices of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners had initially issued an ultimatum to stop service to the maritime industry over widespread cases of extortion and attacks on truckers by hoodlums and miscreants.
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