In its quest to fulfill its statutory function of the forth estate of the realm, the Maritime Reporters’ Association of Nigeria (MARAN), an umbrella body of journalists covering the maritime business sector, will hold a breakfast meeting to beam the searchlight on the Challenges and proffering solutions to the Eto call-up system for trucks operating in the maritime sector.
The event which will be the first of its kind will take place at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa on Thursday, March 7, 2024 will bring together various stakeholders and key operators in the industry under one roof to proffer solutions to a menace that has hindered effective transportations of cargoes, containers and products from the nations seaports.
Speaking on the forthcoming event, Mr Godfrey Bivbere, the President of the association in a press release lamented that despite the good intentions of the e-call up system, it has faced severe criticism, with some operators alleging that it has exacerbated the traffic crisis and facilitated corruption and extortion.
Continuing, he lamented that critical stakeholders have raised concerns that the platform had deviated from its original purpose and turned into a source of revenue generation and that the port environment has returned to the pre-Hadiza Bala-Usman era.
To this effect, he disclosed that the association focused on playing it’s constitutional role of being a watchdog and an agenda-setting body for the government and other stakeholders effectively; will organize a Breakfast meeting to address these concerns.
“Topical issues that will be discussed at the meeting include the efforts that the government through agencies like the Nigerian Ports Authority, has taken to combat these challenges, as well as the role that can be played by stakeholders.
Additionally, the introduction of e-tag trucks will also be discussed as one of the viable solutions” he disclosed.
Stakeholders expected at the meeting include the Honorable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Isiaka Oyetola, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA); The Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Nigeria Customs Service (NCS); Shipping Companies and Terminal Operators.
Others are the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Truck Transit Parks, PSTT, respective truckers’ associations like Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee (LASTCOC), Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Nexus Association of Maritime Transport Operators, NAMTOP, Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), among others.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council, Trucks Transit Parks (TTP) and other notable associations in the nation’s seaports have indicated interests to participate in a Breakfast Meeting on the Electronic Call-up System, otherwise known as Eto being put together by the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
Other participants are Barge Operators Association of Nigeria (BOAN), Lagos State Cargo and Transport Committee (LASTCOC) National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) Nexus Association of Maritime Transport Operators (NAMTOP), Council of Maritime Transport Union and Associations (COMTAU), Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) among others.
Apart from this, the event would equally host the operators of the various truck holding bays licensed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) as well as the Export Processing Terminals (EPT)
The Breakfast meeting will examine the challenges hindering the efficiency of the Electronic Call System (Eto) and proffer solutions.
