COMTUA decries indiscriminate impoundment of truck

The Council of Maritime Transport Union and Associations (COMTUA) has decried what they called gross irregularities and corruption practices perpetrated by officials of the Lagos State Committee on Removal of Abandoned Vehicle (LASCRAV).

The union lamented the forceful hijacking of trucks on transit from their drivers by armed men who claimed to be working for Lagos State government.

The union, in a letter sent to the Special Adviser to Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State, Oluwatoyin Fayinka, and signed by its Director of Legal department, Temilorun Komolafe, also lamented the indiscriminate impoundment of its members’ trucks under the guise of being abandoned by the Lagos State agency.

COMTUA informed that in a bid to carry out the operation, thugs attached to the team freely use dangerous weapons. It also alleged that policemen attached to the team use guns freely on truck drivers.

COMTUA, in the letter which copied the Department of State Service, Nigerian Shipper’s Council, Nigerian Ports Authority, Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, and the Maritime Police Command, also alleged that the officials of LASCRAV demand for cash settlement ranging from N300, 000 to N500, 000.

According to COMTUA, where fines are issued, truck drivers are made to pay N150, 000 as towing fees even when the trucks are driven by their drivers.

A copy of the fine ticket sighted by The Guardian also showed that truck drivers are made to pay a sum of N500,000 for treatment of injured personnel of the LASCRAV officials, with N50, 000 as the actual fine to be paid.

The union, while bemoaning the attitude of government officials, explained that vehicles are deliberately kept for many days to generate daily charges of N2, 000 as demurrage while alleging that its members are harassed and injured mostly by thugs attached to the LASCRAV team.

The group urged the Special Adviser to the Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State, to use his offices to resolve the gross misconduct of those, who are using the name of the state government to extort truck drivers.

“There is no medium to seek redress or contest the ticket issued rather than extortion. Our members are harassed and injured. We strongly believe in your good office to resolve these issues for us,” the union stated.