Corruption Fighting Back: PSTT On Collision Course with Errant Truckers Group; COMTUA

By DAPO OLAWUNI

There are indications that perpetrators of corruption along the Lagos port corridor have now resulted to blackmailing the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) a creation of the Presidency and domiciled under the Nigerian Shippers Council.

The PSTT has been working assiduously to rid the port corridor of articulated trucks, shanties and bribe collection spots, which has attracted wide commendation from port stakeholders.

However, the Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Association (COMTUA) recently accused the PSTT of fraud and extortion of truckers. President of the association, Mr Yinka Aroyehun in a newspaper publication (names withheld) alleged that the PSTT was collecting bribes through third party arrangements.

While addressing a press conference in Lagos on Friday, National Cordinator of PSTT, Comrade Moses Fadipe stated that COMTUA on 25th of September 2022, made the spurious allegations against the task team in a maritime newspaper publication.

According to him, the PSTT had since challenged COMTUA to come up with evidences of fraud or extortion by the Task Team, but up till now, the body has failed to come forward, implying that this is an attempt to blackmail the task team with unsubstantiated allegations.

Comrade Fadipe has also revealed that COMTUA is in the habit of violating port rules, and coming behind the back to pressure PSTT to free their trucks. One of such violation is a truck allegedly belonging to COMTUA members, which was recently arrested for operating double licensed plate numbers.

The PSTT which was inaugurated by the Vice President Yemi Oshinbajo comprises of all security apparatus of the nation, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) among others.

Comrade Fadipe stated that “Accusing the task team is like accusing all the security apparatus of the nation.
The PSTT has written officially to the media house and to the proponent of the story which is the COMTUA President, asking them to within three days confirm the story, retract it, or give a evidence. After the three days elapsed, both have refused to heed the demand of the PSTT.

“At that point, I wrote to all the security apparatus under the PSTT, intimating them of the publication. Two weeks after, I got a call from the DSS at Shangisha Command, Lagos. On getting there, they showed me the same publication and interrogated me.
I believe that, for them to have invited me, every party to this story would be invited by the DSS.

“The allegation of fraud against the PSTT is baseless, and libelous. I know which duty and beat that any member of the team is working at every time, we have specific hours of duty, if anyone is found wanting, it is easy to catch such a person. We don’t walk alone, whenever you see our team outside, all the agencies are always on ground and you would see the inscription on their vehicles, it is a convoy assignment” he said

Comrade Fadipe also gave a step by step process of arresting a truck causing obstruction at the port, and the attendant penalties attached.

Speaking further, he said “The allegation (by COMTUA) is that the PSTT uses a third party facility to detain trucks, and by extension, all the proceeds of that third party facility has a way of flowing back to the PSTT. We challenged them to prove it, because the facility does not belong to us.

“When your truck is apprehended for obstruction, the first approach is to direct the driver to move away. However, most of the trucks park on the access road without the drivers inside. When this is the case, the PSTT would tow the truck.

“The next thing is to take you to a truck park closer to where you are arrested, we use different truck parks which COMTUA is referring as third party facility. The truck park would never release you until you have perfected your documentation and the PSTT okays it.

“While you are at the park, the FRSC would engage you and check your documents, if not valid, they all have fine. After updating your documents, you would write a letter of undertaking that you would not do that again. This letter could be written by the company or the truck manager.

“Every truck apprehended by FRSC are issued remmital forms, you go to the bank and pay directly to the TSA Account. After this, you come back to write the letter of undertaking and attach everything. Without the park owners seeing a complete document and our authority,they won’t release the truck

“The park charge daily for the number of days truck staying there and PSTT has nothing to do with this.
Majority of the trucks we are arresting do not have papers, some of them have not updated their documents for the past fifteen years” he said

Fadipe also randomly displayed one of the document filled by one of the trucks that was arrested. The truck was apprehended for drivers license violation, plate number violation and failure to move over. He was given a total fine of N19,000 fine. The fine for obstruction included in the charge, which is the most common was N3,000.

Comrade Fadipe argued that “Before we started this process, we called all the truckers association and we all agreed to these process. They even agreed that anyone that called for special favour should be turned down.
Many of them have since been calling and we have been turning them down.

“After the accusations (by COMTUA), I still have evidences here, whereby trucks belonging to this association were arrested with two plate numbers. They came to write a letter of appeal to me here, asking me to release the trucks and that it two days time, they would come and sort it out.
As I speak with you, I have pushed the matter to the police to investigate it out.

“Using two plate numbers means that, when a truck commits an infraction, the number would be quickly changed to another one.

“I don’t believe any of my men are accomplices to the allegations COMTUA has made because there are monitors within monitors, and some of the officials are changed regularly. The officials are equally facing a lot of threats in and outside the port on daily basis.
Personally, I have suffered two physical attacks, and it is God that saved my life” he stated.

Fadipe insisted that the PSTT is bent on pursuing the source of the recent allegation against it’s officials, even as he stated that the team would be taking legal action.