By Olasunkanmi Akoni
Barely 24 hours after Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council, PEBEC, led by
the Director-General, Princess Zahra Audu, concluded special raid operation to dismantle illegal checkpoints and extortion hotspots at Apapa ports axis, Lagos, the illegal activities have returned as usual.
Audu had led other senior officers of PEBEC last Thursday, on a clean-up exercise of the corridor following series of complaints over illegal activities by security personnel and touts that have led to high cost of doing business in the axis.
Recall that Audu, in collaboration with inter-agency team, such as: the Nigerian Police, the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA, the Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and the Lagos State Government officials carried out the exercise.
The checkpoints, scattered across key access routes into the Apapa port corridor, had over time become revenue streams for corrupt port officials and security operatives and touts who routinely extorted truck drivers of hundreds of thousands of naira.
The raid sent several of the operatives fleeing, abandoning their chairs and umbrellas at various posts.
The PEBEC DG encouraged truck drivers that henceforth, whenever they are accosted on the roads to pay any illegal money, they should raise an alarm.
Among the locations cleared during the operation were illegal checkpoints on top of and beneath the Liverpool Bridge, the second gate at the Terminal International Container Terminal (TICT), the approach to TICT’s computer facility, and a customs-occupied container whose operations were suspended on the spot. Extortion points at PTML and Ports & Cargo terminals were similarly dismantled.
In the wider Apapa corridor, checkpoints at NAGAFF Junction, ETISALAT and Fidelity roundabouts were taken down, while extortion of truckers at other approved checkpoints across the axis was banned outright.
The PEBEC DG also issued a stern warning against the indiscriminate parking of trucks on port access roads, directing drivers and fleet owners to comply with the new order or face sanctions.
When Vanguard visited the axis at the weekend, traffic enforcement officials have returned to some dismantled check-points, and were seen stopping and collecting fees from truckers while those resisting were forced to withdraw or pulled over from the access roads.
It was gathered that N5000 is collected from truckers at a particular checkpoint from about 4000 trucks, translating into N20,000,000 million naira daily. Monthly, is N600,000,000. Annually, is N7,200,000,000.
“This is enugh to provide street lights along our ports corridor, enough to buy refuse collecting trucks, enough to provide mobile toilets along access roads for drivers, enough to provide security patrol vehicles.
“That’s money from one checkpoint. We have over 40 checkpoints. The money generated from them are enough to support state and national budgets but ended up in private pockets. No patching of port holes on the roads.
“During festive seasons they load bags of rice in trailers, rams and chickens to their various homes while truckers suffer with rickety trucks without any benefits from money collected at checkpoints.
After looting from truckers at checkpoints they would tell you your truck is rickety not up to minimum standard after collecting all you are supposed to use to keep your trucks in good condition. No more extortion, enough is enough,” concerned truckers told Vanguard.
Meanwhile, an effected and concerned trucker, Mohammad Bala, said, “I am sorry to say this, but the reality of what happened shows that what was done by PEBEC was cosmetics.
“It is a wasted effort because the extortion points are coordinated behind the scenes by some faceless powerful cabal in the position of authority.
“Frankly speaking, the leadership of any security agencies found wanting on the roads collecting money should be held responsible.
“I stayed out overnight along with some of our team members to monitor the activities at many of these points mentioned, and i can say that the exercise was a failure because the amount of money paid to enter the ports in the night was humongous.
“I have my documentary evidence to show this to those who want it. However, we are preparing for the big day.’
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