AMATO decry extortion of truckers by LASTMA along Port access way
Members of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), have decried the constant extortion of members by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) as well as local governments staff along access roads to the nation’s seaports.
Specifically, they said extortion by local government staff is done under the guise of revenue generation, while those with LASTMA are done under the pretext of enforcing the state government traffic laws.
The truck owners also alleged that members of the committee set up by the state government for the removal of abandoned trucks are guilty of the same offence, noting that vehicles with punctured tyres are fined heavily and when delayed risk their vehicle being confiscated.
In a letter written to the Lagos State Government and signed by the Chairman of AMATO, Chief Remi Ogungbemi, the body lamented that its members pay between N100,000 and
N200,000 to these officials to secure the release of their seized trucks.
Ogungbemi, who called on the state government to come to their rescue, stated that members may be forced to transfer the additional expenses to the public.
“We are using this medium to draw the attention of the Lagos State
Government to the worrisome and increasing ignoble activities of its traffic agencies and some Local Governments traffic departments in charge of traffic management and control in Lagos State” he added
He named those allegedly responsible for extortion to include the Committee on the Removal of Abandoned Trucks;
LASTMA and some local government officials.
Chief Ogungbemi however, advised the state government to introduce a feedback mechanism by which truckers can seek redress.
“For the Committee on the Removal of Abandoned Trucks, they invade various empty container depots at midnight to hijack trucks not constituting any road obstruction on the normal single lane to either drop or load empty containers. They always go with hoodlums that are armed with dangerous weapons.
“They beat and injure drivers and their motor boys in the process of hijacking trucks. They forcefully collect trucks from drivers and drive the trucks away to their various yards while booking the trucks as being towed. After this, they slam bills ranging between N100,000 to N200,000 as ransom before the trucks can be released. The amount can only be reduced if you know somebody at the top”, AMATO lamented.