After DAILY TREND Report, NPA Bursts Syndicate Racketeering Eto Call-up At Apapa Port
NPA Managing Director, Muhammed Bello-Koko
By DAPO OLAWUNI
Following an exclusive report published recently by DAILY TREND on the activities of a syndicate Forging the Eto Call-Up system of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) the agency has swung into action, thereby intercepting the criminals in the act.
This news medium had reported that the Eto Call-Up papers were being faked and sold to drivers at a whooping N150,000.
The NPA in a sting operation on Sunday announced in a press statement that it intercepted 413 fake number plates.
The Authority said it intercepted a syndicate at the MPS pre-gate in Apapa.
The statement also ddisclosed that 249 fake vehicle number plates and 282 units of fake Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers were also intercepted from the syndicate.
“In a move geared towards frontally tackling the activities of unpatriotic elements sabotaging NPA’s electronic truck traffic management (e-Call Up) system also know as Eto, the Authority’s officials and security agents undertook a spot check of the MPS Pregate where a mind boggling discovery of 249 fake vehicle plate numbers and 149 units of Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers were discovered.
“Further checks of the terminal led to a discovery of another 164 pieces of vehicle number plates and 133 pieces of MSS Stickers that are not fixed on any truck in readiness to be deployed for proxy booking.
“The fake number plates and MSS tickets were immediately confiscated and the terminal manager invited for questioning,” the NPA statement read.
“The Authority further disclosed in the statement that the development validated the Authority’s position on the existence of a third force undermining the electronic call-up system.
“This development validates the Authority’s position on the existence of a deliberate and well orchestrated effort to undermine the electronic Call Up system which was initiated by the NPA to eliminate human interface in managing traffic in and out of the Ports as a measure of sustainably taming the menace of traffic gridlock hurting the national economy.
“The Nigerian Ports Authority is however resolute in consolidating the e-call up project and its other process automation initiatives in order to grow the maritime sector to its full potential,” it added.
Then after this hullabaloo, has the call up price come down to normal? If affirmative, thumbs up. But if otherwise, then it’s not yet uhuru, because the ends justifies the means.
All I Want is reduction of import process to one week at the sea port, it takes over 3 weeks. This is ridiculous. What are the officials doing? Mobilize resources to your cash cow location Lagos and speed up the process. The delay is unnecessary. I hope the officials see this.