Emmanuel OchayiIn a new revelation pointing to the Nigerian Ports Authority’s electronic call-up system, truck movement are being infiltrated by black market entities, hiking call-up prices from the original N21,500 to N150,000 per call-up.
The Association of Maritime Truck Owners Secretary General, Mr. Sanni Muhammed, clarified that while official prices remain stable, obtaining call-ups from black marketers incurs exorbitant costs due to fraudulent practices.
Muhammed highlighted the issue of private pre-gate operators generating unnecessary call-up tickets, which eventually end up in the black market.
He further revealed that compromised enforcement operatives exacerbate the situation, leading desperate truckers to opt for black market call-ups during traffic congestion to avoid losing terminal delivery orders.
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However, Mr. Femi Olabanji, the Lilypond Chapter Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, attributed the surge in haulage prices to corruption within the system. He lamented price increase, emphasizing the necessity for government intervention to address the disparity between the official cost of N27,000 and the inflated prices reaching N150,000.
In response, Nancy Nnamdi, Corporate Communications Manager of TTP Limited, denied claims of an official increase in ETO charges. She clarified that the standard pricing structure ranges between N10,750 and N21,500, attributing irregularities to truckers failing to affix plate numbers on vehicles, enabling ticket swapping and resale at higher prices.
Nnamdi emphasized that these practices were not endorsed by Truck Transit Parks Ltd or the ETO system and emphasized their adherence to the Nigerian Ports Authority’s stipulated standard operating procedures.
She stressed the adverse effects of such fraudulent activities on the industry and truckers’ collective interests, highlighting the need to curb these detrimental practices for the benefit of all stakeholders involved in port operations.
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