The Secretary-General of the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, Mohamed Sani-Bala, has backed the electronic call-up system launched by the Nigerian Ports Authority to tackle gridlock on the Apapa and Tincan Port Access Roads.
He recently hailed the system after a peaceful rally in Apapa, and Nigerians have been reacting.
Speaking via a press statement, Mohamed commended the NPA for the initiative, emphasising that it has made port roads more accessible.
He described the e-call-up system as “not just an app but a game-changer and a landmark achievement in the history of Nigeria’s maritime logistics.”
According to him, the system will go a long way towards eliminating gridlock and enhancing traffic flow along logistics corridors, thereby aiding the smooth evacuation of import and export cargoes.
“On behalf of the trucking community, we wish to use this peaceful rally as a platform to express our profound gratitude to the management of NPA for the deployment of the Eto Call-Up System, and to also appreciate the Lagos State Government for its vital role in enforcing compliance with the Standard Operating Procedures that underpin the system,” he said.
Sani-Bala confirmed that the Eto-call-up system should be seen as an achievement that will not be forgotten in a hurry.
Applauding how the platform ushered in a brand new era of automation, transparency, and efficiency in port access, the Secretary-General revealed that it will definitely resolve the long-standing chaos and gridlock that has plagued key logistics corridors for decades.
He concluded by blasting those speaking against the system, stressing that they are only ranting because it ruins their plan to keep extorting and exploiting truckers under the guise of port access facilitation.
“Today, truckers can book port access slots remotely and affordably, from anywhere in the world, without the need to physically queue for days on end or engage with road cabals for access tags that used to cost between N250,000 and N300,000, often without any certainty of progress. The Eto system, at a flat rate of N21,500, has eliminated the extortion and exploitation that defined the manual era.
Gridlock has eased, and sanity has returned to our roads, and truckers no longer sleep in vehicles or die behind the wheel from exhaustion. Port corridors are now more fluid, and the environment is more hospitable. Import and export cargoes are evacuated seamlessly, while businesses now operate on schedule. Apapa, once a ghost town, is vibrant again, with rising property values and restored community life.
We are aware that some individuals are sponsoring a campaign of calumny against the platform. Let it be known that these detractors are largely beneficiaries of the discredited manual system now rendered irrelevant by automation. Their interest lies in reversing the clock to a time when truckers were extorted and exploited under the guise of port access facilitation,” he added.
