The Council of Maritime Transport Unions and Associations (COMTUA) has advised the government and law enforcement agencies to thoroughly investigate the mayhem that occurred in Tin Can Island Port area where a life was lost on Monday.
The National President of COMTUA, Comrade Adeyinka Aroyewun, stated in an open letter he issued that the incident and circumstances leading to deaths and injuries in the area should be probed in order to discourage similar occurrences in the future.
According to him, the statements credited to Alhaji Lookman Shittu, Chairman of LASTCOC and Mr. Moshood, Chairman, NAMTOP, confirmed that a crisis happened on February 6, 2024, in Tin Can where deaths and injuries were recorded.
He noted that though the two groups gave varying accounts on which side suffered losses but it was not in doubt that LASTCOC went to Tin Can but met with resistance.
“We have made calls to the government and security agencies about the activities of this group (LASTCOC), especially their desperation to impose an illegal ticket on truckers. We advised that it may lead to a crisis and economic hardship. We emphasized the illegal status of this committee, but they are emboldened by the assurances extracted by their sponsors in the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation. That rates, levies, and taxes require legislation makes no sense to the group.
“How else can we describe a group that has taken laws into their own hands? Falsely going around arresting people for the same offense they have committed, are committing, or intend to commit. There is only one police force in Nigeria, so for anybody to assume this posture is reckless and can lead to breaches of public peace, just as it has happened in Tincan,” Aroyewun stated in the letter.
The COMTUA boss accused LASTCOC of committing criminal infractions, and being shielded by their sponsors.
“They go about obstructing traffic by turning trucks of members in the opposing camp to theirs under the guise of checking call-up documents. While other trucks are obeying regulations and queuing for turns, they fly trucks directly to the port. The MPS park, where over hundred pieces of fake number plates were discovered with illegal NPA stickers, is managed by the treasurer of the group, Alh Rasaki Igbalaye,” he alleged.
“Going about in connivance with some paid officers to arrest pseudo-extortionists and mounting their members for the same purpose is their stuck in trade.
“A committee of government has created over 30 zones, where over #2 million has been paid by each Zonal chairperson. The group purchased the current status from state officials, and no one is asking questions.
“How else do we describe the audacious stance of an illegal group? On ease of doing business in the port corridor, apart from the statutory wharf landing fee collecting authority, three other committees have been created by the same special adviser to the governor on transportation, with LASTCOC being the most despised to extort money and commit crimes,” Aroyewun noted.