Truck and tanker drivers in Apapa, Lagos, have pleaded with the

federal government to immediately extend the tenure of the

Presidential Task Team set up two weeks ago to remove trucks from port

access roads and restore sanity, warning that not doing so would

worsen the situation.

General Coordinator, Council of Maritime Truck Unions Association

(COMTUA), and General Manager Operations, Nigerian Association of Road

Transport Owners (NARTO), Steven Okafor made the call on behalf of his

colleagues at a joint press conference with the Task Team and other

stakeholders at the port.

He said, “I want to use this opportunity to thank the federal

government and the Task Team for the wonderful job they have done so

far. We are not on the payroll of any government; we are private

sector operators, so we say things the way they are. If they are not

telling the press the truth, then we will tell you the truth. “We were

the ones who petitioned the former task force because of the huge

extortion. Our happiness today is that the government has involved the

unions in the task team, which never happened before; we are glad and

will continue to give the government kudos.

“We cannot compare what the task team achieved in two weeks to any

effort put in place in the last few years. We are requesting that the

task team’s tenure be extended so that they can completely sanitise

the system. Without that, we will go back to where we were or even

worse, we need to stabilise what we have now and sustain what they

have achieved. Government should please help us and make sure that

they extend their tenure.”

Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Presidential Task Team and former

Commissioner of Transport in Lagos State, Mr. Kayode Opeifa stated

that the team had achieve the goals set out in its terms of reference

outlined by the government when it was set up two weeks ago. (THISDAY)

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