Certification: ‘NPA Compromise On Standards’

Fresh facts have revealed
that some trucks certified by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) are not road worthy even as investigations have shown that such trucks that have paid the N10000, electronic sticker levy are doing business at the seaports in Lagos.
The Tide gathered that some trucks with the NPA stickers sighted at the entry gate of the Apapa and Tin Can Island ports respectively do not meet the required standard.
Some of the trucks that are being certified by NPA on the minimum standards requirement did not have good headlamps, corrosive bed also known as track, good tyres among others.
However, truck owners have lamented on the partiality on the part of NPA on the nature of trucks doing business at the ports saying that the authority is only concerned about collecting the said N10,000 from truck owners.
Speaking with The  Tide correspondent, Vice Chairman, Wet Cargo Section, Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Inuwa Abdullahi lamented that since NPA decide to collect money on standards,under the guise of electronic stickers, there are bound  to be compromise on the long run.
Inuwa maintained that the essence of NPA enforcement on standards have been defeated, adding that many of the trucks are not even road worthy, yet they are certified by NPA.
He alleged further that in all of the trucks certified by NPA, a large number are not road worthy, noting that the authority cannot compel truck owners to pay N10000 when standards have been compromised already.
According to him, the level of road accident will still continue in the state except the NPA comes out genuinely to put in place structures to ameliorate road worthiness of vehicle doing business at the ports.
He however stressed that NPA has failed in the implementation in upping standards of trucks doing business at Lagos seaports.
Also reacting on the nature of some truck certified  by NPA,National Coordinator, Save Nigerian Freight Forwarders Importers, Exporters Coalition, Sir Patrick Osita Chukwu, said that the monetary attachment by NPA  over requirement standards of trucks poses a major setback to haulage operations in the sector noting that the money is still not acceptable by the operators.
He added that the NPA has no right to regulate trucks doing business at sea ports in Lagos state saying that there are agencies under the minister of transport that are responsible for such roles.
Osita added that some of  the trucks did not meet the requirement set aside, yet they  are qualified to do business in the ports.

Nkpemenyie Mcdominic