Lagos Marathon: We are not aware of restriction on our movement – Tanker drivers

There are strong indications that the much-anticipated 2019 Access Bank international Marathon may run into an avoidable hitch if the recent claim by the Association of Maritime Truck Owners, AMATO and National Union of Petroleum and Gas Worker, NUPENG, is anything to go by.

According to Chief Remi Ogungbe, the President of AMATO and Mr Tayo Aboyeji, the South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, the two bodies are not aware of the restriction order on the movement of trucks, tankers and other articulated vehicles in Lagos State.

It would be recalled that the Federal Road Safety Corps had on Wednesday placed a movement restriction for articulated vehicles on February 1, 2, 8 and 9.

The restriction followed the planned hosting of the 2019 Access Bank International Marathon by Lagos State scheduled to hold on Friday and Saturday.

Mr Hyginus Omeje, Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, said the decision was reached at the end of a meeting of heads of security and traffic management agencies in the state.

“The Federal Road Safety Corps wishes to inform the motoring public that there will be restrictions of movement for trailers, tankers and other articulated vehicles into Lagos state on the following days: February 1, 2, 8 and 9.

“This decision is in the general interest of the motoring public and also targeted at ensuring the free flow of traffic and forestall security breaches on the highways and other roads on the stated days,” Omeje said.

In his reactions, Ogungbe, said that the association was not carried along in the decision to restrict movement of trucks and tankers.

“If it is for the marathon race, the association will see what we can do because it is of national interest.

“Although I am not aware of this restriction before now, we know how to get our members to comply with this short notice,” he said.

Also, Mr Tayo Aboyeji, the South-West Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, said that the union was also not aware of the restriction decision.

Aboyeji said that other members like Petroleum Tanker Drivers were not also aware of the proposed restriction of movement.

According to him, “we are actually aware of the marathon race through the media, but not the restriction of movements for members of our union.

“If we were involved in the meeting, we would have suggested alternative routes as the race is not going to be all over the metropolis.

“Our restriction to Lagos for two days will send the wrong signal to Nigerian that the tanker drivers are on strike again.

“But, if we were duly informed, we would have known how to manage the situation.

“Many tankers come into Lagos daily all over the nation, how do we now stop them from entering since they were not informed,” NUPENG leader said.

Aboyeji said that the security chiefs did not consider the unions to be important, hence, they were not involved in the decision-making process.

“Let us see how many tankers they can stop at the toll gate.

“We are a peace-loving people; we will see how to manage the situation before the close of work,” he said.

Responding to the unions’ claims of non-involvement, Omeje, on behalf of other sister agencies, said, “That is why we went on air to inform the general public about the restriction’’.

Ends

Source: NAN