LAGOS – Mr Anas Nasir, the Apapa Port Manager, has warned members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) to stop bribing security officers at the entrance of the port.
Nasir disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday shortly after a meeting between the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and AMATO.
He called on the leadership of the police at the port to call his men to order and stop engaging in the unwholesome behaviours.
The port manager said that the leadership of AMATO had also been advised to discourage its members from offering money to security operatives at the gate to allow them jump the queue.
“We talked to the police to warn its operatives at the gate to desist from any act of extortion from the drivers.
“We also told AMATO to warn its members against inducing the extortion, considering that some of them offer money to the security men to enable them go ahead of others into the port,’’ he said.
The Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, said the meeting ended well, but that some issues still needed to get more attention. [eap_ad_1] “We have discussed, but the issues are not totally resolved because it is not easy to be solved once at a go.
“But I appreciate the efforts of the NPA at ensuring that there is peace for our operations to go on well.
“The General Manager, Western Ports went all the way to introduce some palliatives on the road repairs which is only an aspect of the challenges,” Ogungbemi said.
He said that the association had advised its members to stop offering money to security operatives who might want to take advantage of the situation they were creating.
The chairman said that it would take time for both sides to resolve the problem completely if the drivers refused to give bribe and if the NPA would also checkmate security operatives.
The truck drivers at Apapa port staged a protest on Sept. 17 alleging extortion by security operatives at the port gate before allowing them into the port. (NAN)
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