By Isaac Anumihe

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The three-day strike embarked upon by a coalition of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Nigerian Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and truck owners has been suspended.
The groups protested some anomalies in the ports including dilapidated road infrastructure around the ports in the country. The decision to suspend the action was reached at the meeting of representatives of the bodies in Apapa, Lagos.
A press release issued at the end of the meeting, signed by representatives of the associations said the suspension was sequel to pleas by the government and other well-meaning Nigerians, to allow relevant authorities address all the issues, which necessitated the withdrawal of service.
“As patriotic Nigerians, the associations agreed that the economy should not be unduly further distressed,” the statement said. The associations used the occasion to commend the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Hassan Bello, and the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA),  Hajia Hadiza Bala Usman, for their efforts at repositioning the total logistics supply chain.
They, however, gave the government another 21-day ultimatum to rectify all the issues in contention so as to avert further round of shutdown.
The associations commended their members for their support during the exercise and urged them to remain calm as they promised to always protect their interests.
Recall that Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN) had last year protested the deplorable state of the Apapa roads and the resultant gridlock. Worried by the perennial Apapa gridlock, which had remained unresolved for over 10 years,  MAJAN embarked on the peaceful protest to draw the attention of the authorities to the menace, which has cost the country trillions of naira in revenue.
In his speech, the President of MAJAN, Mr. Ray Ugochukwu, then regretted that the traffic gridlock in Apapa, which, apart from killing businesses, had sent many people to their early graves through motorcycle accidents since motorbike had become the only means of transport in the area.
He said this was unacceptable; hence the group resolved to continue the protest till the menace was totally and comprehensively addressed. Apapa ports account for at least 65 per cent of the total revenue generated by the country’s port system annually.