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Cement dealers decry seizure of trucks, seek govt’s intervention

By Femi Adekoya
12 June 2015   |   12:45 am
Cement Transporters and Dealers Association (CTDA) of Nigeria has called on the Lagos State Government (LASG) to look into the activities of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LATSMA) that resulted in the towing away of about 21 trucks belonging to its members. The General Secretary of the association, Edward Onyeana explained that on the…

CementCement Transporters and Dealers Association (CTDA) of Nigeria has called on the Lagos State Government (LASG) to look into the activities of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LATSMA) that resulted in the towing away of about 21 trucks belonging to its members.

The General Secretary of the association, Edward Onyeana explained that on the 25th of April, 2015, at about 2am when 21 trucks belonging to the association were queuing on a portion of the road along Dangote cement factory at Isolo, Lagos State, LASTMA officials stormed the warehouse and towed the trucks with no just reasons.

Onyeana while addressing journalists stressed that the depot which the trucks have been loading and offloading over the past three years has not in any way obstructed the flow of traffic or violated the laws of the land, saying that most of its activities are carried out during off-peak hours of the day.

He however stated that the association is planning to sue LASTMA for damaging some of the trucks during the process of the seizures.

He said all efforts to recover the trucks had proved abortive, maintaining that immediately after the incident, the association sought the audience of the former Commissioner of Transport, Kayode Opeifa to wade into the issue, noting that the effort was no doubt an attempt to prevent a collapse of the businesses of cement dealers and transporters on the fateful day‎.

“It is significant to mention that our members do not in any way whatsoever have it as an intention to obstruct the flow of traffic, but were unavoidably compelled to form an organised queue whenever they are ready to pro‎ceed into the depot to lift the products. This has been a long standing practice whenever the trucks are called upon to proceed into the depot for loading,” he said.

According to him, a call was made out to the leadership of LASTMA, B‎abatunde Edu to address the issue, but stressed that he refused to heed the call and plea of the former commissioner even after explanation of what really transpired at the depot.

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