AMATO Dissociates from COMTUA, Says: Stop Parading Our Name As your Member
Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi (right) in a firm handshake with the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello Koko when AMATO members visited NPA recently
By DAPO OLAWUNI
There are indications that Council of Maritime Trade Unions and Associations (COMTUA) is gradually becoming a leprosy in the maritme transportation business, even as more groups are dissociating from the group.
This is even as the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has distanced itself from COMTUA, saying that the association was never a member of COMTUA in the first place, but the group kept parading AMATO’s name as one.
In a public message signed by AMATO Chairman, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, he warned the leadership of COMTUA to stop mentioning AMATO as part of their members, adding that the association is not in any working relationship with any group.
He said “Once again, it has gotten to our Information that AMATO is being mentioned, printed or paraded as member of COMTUA, therefore, it is become expedient for us as AMATO to inform all the relevant authorities and the general public at large that:
“That there is never a time AMATO align with COMTUA and will not be part of COMTUA.
“That any claim of AMATO being member of COMTUA is false.
“That as AMATO, we would not fall into the cajole, rather, we prefer to align ourselves with any group that has the same ideology / principle with us.
“That membership of any group is by choice and not by force.
“That Comtua should desist from mentioning or print AMATO as member of Comtua”
DAILY TREND NEWS recalls that trouble had started for COMTUA 8-months ago when the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) announced withdrawal of its membership of the group.
President General of MWUN, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju has consistently reiterated that COMTUA has no regard for constituted authorities in the maritime sector and the Union cannot associate with people who add no respect for the sector.
“We therefore see no reason why we should stay on in a collaboration that conflicts with the principles and processes which forms the basis for which it was set up in the first place” the union stated at that time.
Shortly after MWUN’s withdrawal, another strong member, National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) also pulled out, sighting the same reasons.
COMTUA is almagamation of different truck associations and unions in the maritime sector who come together as one body to address the menace of gridlock bedevilling the sector.
Founding Chairman of the Board of Trustees of COMTUA was the Secretary General of NARTO, Mr.Ogbogo Aloga, while Co-Chairman of the BOT is the MWUN President General, Prince Adewale Adeyanju.
Meanwhile, in February 2022, both MWUN and NARTO have now signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and working together towards alleviating suffering of truckers across the nation and port cities.
