The Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners, (NARTO) has decried the security situation across the country and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Abuja, saying that the situation is affecting the growth of the transport and the country at large.
National President of the Association, Alhaji Yusuf Lawal Othman, made this known at the Annual General Meeting of the Association held on Wednesday in Abuja where he revealed that kidnappers have now formed the habit of hijacking trucks on Nigeria’s highway.
He said: “The activities of bandits, kidnappers, and thieves have made life miserable for drivers. We have had many cases where drivers were kidnapped while on duty and some had their trucks hijacked at gunpoint along some of the critical routes in the country. This not only affects our business but the economy at large.
Othman also expressed concern over the deregulation of the oil sector without a corresponding review of freight charges paid to members of his association.
“While the deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector is commendable, it has introduced a substantial challenge in determining freight rates. In a theoretically free market, freight costs should be dictated by demand and supply dynamics, with rates negotiated between marketers and transporters.
However, achieving this has proven difficult. Despite our operational costs, particularly in forex and diesel, skyrocketing to unsustainable levels, marketers consistently refuse our requests for freight reviews, citing government restrictions on adjusting PMS pump prices, even when international market prices for the product increase,” he added.
In his remarks, the GCEO, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, who was represented by Executive Vice President, Midstream and Downstream, NNPCL, Dapo Segun, said, “We have responsibility to take care of supply and distribution of petroleum products. We can’t do that without the support of NARTO. We are pleased with your role in recent times. I will be failing in my duty if we don’t acknowledge the role you played to mitigate fuel queues.”
