Maritime union kicks against extortion at ports



The Council of Maritime Transport Union Associations (COMTUA) has demanded an end to alleged extortion of truckers on the port access road in Lagos.

This practice, it said, was common among officials of the enforcement team responsible for the free flow of traffic in and out of the port.

The union named the Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) among the perpetrators.

COMTUA President Yinka Aroyewun alleged that truckers have become cash cows for officials of these government outfits and agency.

The union leader urged the Police to end the extortion outside the port premises.

He said: “The Maritime industry is so large that it contributes about 40 per cent of revenue to the government coffers yearly.

“We are members of COMTUA. Some people believe when they talk about union, you are talking about louts. But we are law-abiding citizens who know the importance of the Maritime sector to the economy".

But the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Zone 2, Adeleke Adeyinka, assured the union that he would sanitise the traffic environment in Apapa.

“Let me reassure that we will try as much as possible to bring sanity to the environment. There is no environment that is perfect. But we will do our best to stop the illegal act", he pledged.

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