Crisis brewing in Lagos ports as NARTO, NURTW, RTEAN set for show down

THE leadership of the National Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, has threatened to confront the leaderships of the both the National Union of    Road Transport Workers, NURTW, and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN, if the Lagos State Government do not protect NARTO members from harassment and extortions alleged against NURTW and RTEAN.

NARTO has already petitioned the Lagos State Government; Department of State Security, DSS, Commission of Police in Lagos State, Commission of Police Western Port, Nigeria Shippers Council, NSC, Media Houses; among others on this matter.

The association made the petition available to Vanguard Maritime Report in a letter titled: “Extortion, Harassment and Attack on our Members”, addressed to the Special Adviser on Transportation to the Governor of Lagos State and signed by Chairman, NARTO Lagos, Alhaji Kayode Odunowo, and Chairman, Task Force, NARTO, Prince Hassan Adekoya. They said that their members are extorted of various sums of money in and around the port corridor in the state ranging between N2,000 and N10,000 in each bus stop daily at over 172 bus stops, stretching from Oshodi to Apapa and their members are being extorted in every of these Bus-Stops.

The association said it would be  forced to confront the offending bodies if the unhealthy practices are not looked into and resolved, even as urge all the concerned agencies of government to act before it degenerate to breakdown of law  and order.

The letter states in part: “We wish to bring to your attention, the unwholesome attitude of some National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW members and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN agents in Lagos State.

“It is a notorious fact that members of the NURTW extort our members of various sums of money in and around the port corridor in Lagos State ranging between N2,000 to N10,000 in each bus stops daily (over 172 bus stops).

“Our endurance is stretched and we would be forced to react sharply if these unhealthy practices is not looked into and resolved. Consequently, we write to complain about this unwholesome attitude to your office emphasizing enough of the extortion and brutality of our members, we believe you are capable of Putting a stop to this unruly behavior of members of the NURTW and RTEAN in Lagos State before it generate to breakdown of law  and order.”