In a statement on Sunday, the agency said it also discovered a total of 149 units of Minimum Safety Standard stickers.
NPA added that a total of 169 vehicle plate numbers and 133 pieces of MSS stickers not fixed to any truck were also discovered in an undisclosed terminal
The PUNCH reports that NPA in a bid to address traffic gridlock, introduced an electronic call-up system, code-named, ‘Eto’ managed by the Truck Transit Park Limited for the movement of trucks in and out of the port.
It was also learnt that the application was highjacked by black marketers and the prices for the call-up were taken up from N21, 500 which was sold by TTP to about N150,000 per call-up.
However, NPA in the statement said, “In a move geared towards frontally tackling the activities of unpatriotic elements sabotaging the NPA’s electronic truck traffic management system also known as ‘Eto’, the authority’s officials and security agents undertook a spot check of the MPS Pregate and made a mind-boggling discovery of 249 fake vehicle plate numbers and 149 units of minimum safety standard stickers,”
“Further checks of a terminal led to a discovery of another 164 pieces of vehicle number plates and 133 pieces of MSS stickers that were not fixed on any truck ready to be deployed for proxy booking,” the statement added.
Speaking further, NPA said that the terminal manager where the plate numbers and MSS stickers were discovered has been invited for questioning, and the plate numbers and stickers confiscated.
The agency said that the development validates the NPA’s position on the existence of a deliberate and well-orchestrated effort to undermine the electronic call-up system ” Which was initiated by the NPA to eliminate human interface in managing traffic in and out of the ports as a measure of sustainably taming the menace of traffic gridlock hurting the national economy,” the agency explained.
The agency vowed to consolidate the call-up project.
“The NPA is however resolute in consolidating the e-call-up project and its other process automation initiatives to grow the maritime sector to its full potential,” the statement concluded.
