The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) has uncovered syndicates of the electronic call-up system at the MPS Pre-gate in Tin Can Island, Lagos, and discovered 413 fake vehicle plate numbers and 282 units of Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers.

The NPA officials and security agents undertook a spot check of the MPS Pre-gate, at the weekend and made a discovery of 249 fake vehicle plate numbers and 149 units of MSS stickers.

Further checks at the terminal also led to 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 stickers were immediately confiscated and the terminal manager invited for questioning. It would be recalled that The Guardian had reported that black marketers had taken advantage of the blocked port access roads to hijack the e-call up system, selling tickets for N150,000 per truck.

The Guardian investigations also revealed that the black marketers booked the tickets way ahead despite not needing to access the ports for profiteering purposes.

These black marketers, who buy the ETO tickets and other associated charges at a total of N21,500 per truck, hoard and resell them at N150,000 to truckers who, out of fear of losing their Terminal Delivery Order (TDO) and desperation, buy at the cut-throat price to access the ports.

According to the management of NPA, this move is geared towards frontally tackling the activities of unpatriotic elements sabotaging the electronic truck traffic management system.

NPA also noted that the development validates its position on the existence of a deliberate and well orchestrated effort to undermine the electronic call up system.

The NPA management said the e-call up system was initiated to eliminate human interface in managing traffic in and out of the ports as a measure of sustainably taming the menace of gridlock hurting the national economy.

It further reiterated that it is however resolute in consolidating the e-call up project and its other process automation initiatives to grow the maritime sector to its full potential.