The federal government has established a joint ministerial committee tasked with mediating and resolving issues of harassment and multiple taxation faced by maritime truck owners.
This committee, composed of representatives from the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, aims to provide solutions to the growing concerns of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO).
The minister of transportation, Senator Said Alkali, made the announcement on September 10, 2024, after meeting with delegations from AMATO and NARTO at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to Alkali, the meeting and subsequent committee formation were in response to threats of a nationwide strike by truck owners, sparked by complaints of illegal tariffs, destruction of trucks, and mistreatment of truck drivers.
“Transportation is the backbone of the nation’s economy, and the sector cannot thrive without the collaboration of key stakeholders such as AMATO and NARTO,” Alkali stated.
He urged both unions to pursue dialogue over confrontation and expressed optimism that the committee would resolve their grievances.
Folake Soji-George, a member of AMATO’s Board of Trustees, highlighted the challenges facing the maritime trucking community, including the destruction of trucks and the brutalization of drivers by various groups. These issues, she noted, had prompted truckers to consider halting services in protest.
Similarly, NARTO’s executive secretary, Chief Aloga Ogbogo, raised concerns about the excessive towing practices by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the growing harassment and violence against truck drivers.
He stressed that these issues seriously affected the transport business, preventing truck owners from upgrading their fleets and limiting their operations.
The joint committee will be chaired by Oloruntola Olufemi, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, with Adeleye Adeoye, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, serving as co-chair
Other members include Pius Oteh, director of Legal Services, who will act as Secretary, alongside Musa Ibrahim, director of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration, and Babatunde Sule, director of Maritime Services.
The committee has been given two weeks to submit its findings and recommendations to the minister.
The federal government hopes this initiative will lead to a resolution of the issues affecting the trucking industry, thereby preventing further disruptions to the transportation sector, a key driver of the nation’s economy.
