In a startling revelation, the racketeering of e-Call-up tickets by intermediaries has surged haulage costs by a staggering 200 percent at Lagos ports, specifically Apapa and Tin-Can Island.
The e-Call-up system, also referred to as Eto, was introduced as an electronic platform to eliminate human interference in the process of summoning trucks to the ports.
Administered by the private sector firm Trucks Transit Parks Limited (TTP) since 2020, Eto was designed for scheduling, entry, and exit of trucks at the Lagos ports.
Previously, truck drivers needed less than three days to obtain an Eto ticket at the Lilypond Terminal in Ijora, the designated pre-gate terminal for port-bound trucks.
However, the situation has changed drastically, and now it takes between two to three weeks for trucks with terminal delivery orders (TDOs) at Lilypond to legitimately secure an Eto ticket for port access.
As a result of these delays, desperate truck owners have resorted to purchasing Eto tickets from third parties at exorbitant prices, reaching as high as N150,000.
This has led to a surge in haulage costs, skyrocketing from N250,000 to a staggering N700,000 in recent months.
Investigation reveals that routes such as Apapa to Sango-otta, Ogun state, which previously cost N250,000, now demand N700,000.
Similarly, the cost from Apapa to Ikeja, once priced at N200,000, has surged to N600,000. Routes from Apapa port to Costain and Tin Can Island port to Mile 2 have seen charges escalate from N200,000 to N500,000, respectively.
Yusuf Liadi, a truck owner, attributed the spike in haulage costs to racketeers who began selling Eto tickets at N50,000, gradually increasing to N150,000.
He predicts further escalation to N200,000 by the end of the month, particularly with the approaching yuletide season.
Liadi highlighted that the extended waiting period of up to two weeks for TTP to call trucks into the port has resulted in a backlog, prompting truckers to seek alternative, albeit expensive, means of obtaining Eto tickets.
He expressed concern about the sale of fake tickets by racketeers and urged TTP to address the delays in the Eto call-up system to prevent further fraudulent activities.
In response to the crisis, Oluremi Olabanji, chairman of Lilypond Export Terminal, implicated some TTP staff in collusion with outsiders, manipulating the system.
He warned that if ticket racketeering persisted, haulage costs could soar to a staggering N1 million.
Olabanji commended the efforts of Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in curbing irregularities but emphasized the need to identify and remove individuals behind the racketeering.
He criticized the disruption caused by cartels and called for a balance between revenue generation and adherence to government-established systems.
Trucking costs, according to the chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), have surged from N400,000 to N800,000.
He pointed out that the challenge extends beyond import-laden cargoes to export-laden containers, causing delays and financial losses for agents.
However, TTP’s head of operations, Irabor Akonoman, refuted allegations that the company or the Eto system facilitated fraudulent practices.
He attributed the problem to truckers failing to affix plate numbers on their vehicles, allowing for potential swapping and resale of tickets at inflated prices.
Akonoman outlined TTP’s commitment to selling Eto tickets at NPA-approved prices and revealed plans to implement advanced technologies, such as Radio-Frequency Identification, to curb ticket racketeering.
He emphasized the importance of enforcing consequences for infractions and maintaining the integrity of the electronic call-up system.
