… PTT Still Maintaining Presence at Ports Despite Disbandment
The synergy between the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, (NSC) who act as the ports economic regulator, and the Presidential Task Team (PTT) on Apapa Ports traffic gridlock, appears to have been weakened, multiple indicators reveal.
There is currently a controversy over the presence of NSC in the operations of the PTT. The now-defunct PTT maintains that the auxiliary staff of the NSC are still not withdrawn, while the Council insists that the said staff have since withdrawn following the disbandment of the PTT, in October.
According to the Executive Vice Chairman of the PTT, Kayode Opeifa, said it is not true that the Council has withdrawn their drivers and their vehicles.
According to him: “They have vehicles with the team, they did not withdraw anything; they are still with us. You want to know why the Shippers Council withdrew their drivers? They have vehicles attached to the team and they did not withdraw any vehicle. Their representative in the PTT is Chief Agu. Have you spoken with him?”
However, Director of Consumer Affairs Division, NSC, Cajetan Agu, who was the Council’s representative at the PTT, said that he is no longer a member of the team as it has been disbanded about two months ago.
Agu said: “I was the representative of the Council but the PTT has been disbanded since two months ago. You should understand what is happening. If they leave now who will take care of traffic control.
“There must be a transition like in the USA, after the elections they said Joe Biden won, but he cannot take over immediately; there must be a transition period. That is what is happening, I do not know if the vehicles have been withdrawn.”
Also, the Head Public Relations Department of the NSC, Rekia Zubairu, noted that they have actually withdrawn the vehicles after the disbanding of the PTT. She said neither their representative nor the drivers and vehicles are in the PTT.
