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“For the middle lane created, it is to allow trucks with genuine Eto paper pass through to access the ports when called up, while most times, you wouldn’t see the middle lane on the road, which means that those trucks that are parked by the side of the road don’t have genuine papers.
He said refusal to pay the sum of N3, 000 at the junction of the port would cause them being returned to the truck parks, adding that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would then feast on the returned truck drivers to collect their own share of the illegal fees by arresting the trucks.
He said the truck parks are also not helping the success of the electronic call up system and truck drivers, noting that at the Lilypond park, trucks were delayed for seven days before they were called to the ports.
He said when trucks enter the parks they are delayed for weeks before they are called into the ports, whereas trucks that paid illegally to the enforcement agencies pass one-way to the ports.
At the Tincan port, no truck was seen around the port premises, while for the Lagos Complex Port, trucks were seen parked on the lane going into the ports, with no space for other vehicles to pass through.
Gabriel said those excuses are lies as the ports are empty, saying: “It is because they no longer see that bribe we usually pay to them, so, it is the Nigerian Ports Authority and security operatives that get the money now.” According to another truck driver, Friday Joseph, those assigned to monitor its smooth operation are frustrating the system.
He said about 60 to 70 per cent of the trucks parked along the roads do not have where they stay, adding that the owners of the trucks pay the enforcement agencies money to allow them park on the road.
Gabriel narrated that despite having complete and genuine documents of the Eto system, the port officials and security operatives at the entrance of the port insist on collecting N5, 000 illegally to allow the import-bound trucks into the port.
Ogbaji said for the one-way route to the ports, truck drivers pay between N100, 000 to N150, 000 or more, noting that those who pass the one-way routes are brought directly to the port gates.
A truck driver, who gave his name as Michael Gabriel (not real name) for the fear of being caught and punished by the ports officials and security operatives for disclosing the corrupt activities at the Lagos Complex port, said he had been waiting for the past two days to gain access into the port and pick up cargoes.
When this paper visited the Tincan Island Port and Lagos Complex Port, the new technologies installed, such as the closed-circuit cameras (CCTV), access control barriers, access control card readers and bollard system were in perfect condition, however, trucks were parked on the roads, blocking other vehicles from using the roads.
Gabriel, who was waiting in the queue of trucks opposite the Lagos Complex Port for his turn to enter the port, further narrated his present experience, saying: “I spent two days driving from Lilypond park to Lagos Complex port.
When The Guardian visited Lilypond Truck Park and Tin Can truck parks, few trucks were parked in them, as there was enough space to take over 50 more trucks.
The official blamed the corruption at the ports’ roads on the enforcement agencies, whom he said, collect money from truckers without the Eto tickets and allow them park on both sides of the roads as their permanent parks.
“The enforcement agencies must explain why there are trucks parked on the roads, the truck drivers are defecating, having their baths on the roads and doing all sorts of things.
While turning at the port road he ran out of fuel, the next thing we saw were LASTMA officials that came and towed the truck to their office at Costain and we spent N35, 000, which was after they collected bribe from us, before they could release our truck,” he groaned..
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