The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) on Sunday urged the Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu to dissolve the committee in charge of removal of abandoned vehicle in the state.
Mr Remi Ogungbemi, Chairman, of AMATO in a statement noted that their activities had become a day light and night robbery of truckers.
“It has becomes expedient for us to draw your attention to the unsavoury activities of the above mentioned Committee.
“Their activities have become a day light and night robbery of truckers, they move around in company of military personnel and thugs armed with bottles, cutlasses, guns and other dangerous weapons.
“They attack various empty container depots and garages in order to assault drivers, forcefully hijack and drive away their trucks and later booked the trucks as been towed and slam outrageous bills ranging between 150,000 – 250,000. ,
“All these deliberate act of impunity, lawlessness, abuse of power and barbaric manner of operation by members of the committee is not only destroying the good intention of their establishment by the government but also portraying the government in a bad light,” he said.
Ogungbemi noted that they had written several letters to the governor without any response.
He said that they are therefore, using this medium to let the governor and the public know the travail truckers are passing through in the hands of Abandon Committee.
He said that this formed part of the reasons why most of their trucks are in a rickety and dilapidated conditions.
“The money we ought to have used to maintain these trucks are being forcefully and unlawfully collected from us by members of Abandon Committee without issuance receipt,” he said.
The AMATO chairman said the creation of committee on the removal of abandon truck in Lagos State in the presence of a more civilized, organized and well trained traffic agency like Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) was duplication of function and waste of Lagos state Government resources.
“LASTMA is more qualified and competent to handle better what Committee on Abandon Truck was established to do.
“The modus operandi of Comm ittee on the Removal of Abandon Truck is contrary to the philosophy of any government that seeks to promote respect for human rights, peace of the public and rule of law.
“To this end therefore, we urge LASG to listen to our cries and do the needful dissolution of the committee in order to save truckers from their banditry in the interest of peace, our business, human rights and rule of law,” he said.
