By Steve Agbota
Barely two weeks after the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) commenced the implementation of the electronic call-up system, to ease traffic gridlock in Apapa, fraudsters have started cloning the system by printing counterfeit call-up slips for truck drivers.
Consequently, the management of the NPA said it has commenced investigating into the matter after some truck drivers were caught with forged e-call up slips.
The NPA in its official tweet @nigerianports on Wednesday, reported that some corrupt elements were trying to forge the e- call-up slip known as ETO slip.
“This is the major factor responsible for the initial confusion on the major road within the first week of commencement of the e-call up system. We are determined to checkmate the illicit act.”
“We are currently investigating some cases where truck drivers were caught with counterfeited e-call up slip in order to by-pass security and officials saddled with the responsibility but we are on top of the situation. We will beat them to their game,” the Authority said.
In a related development, the NPA stated that despite a marginal drop in the volume of cargo coming into the country in 2020, due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, it generated N350.37 billion, representing an increase of 14.76 per cent, which was the highest in the last five years.
The revenue were dues collected from royalties, cargo throughput, harbour dues, administrative and other statutory sources. The increase in revenue by the Authority is coming at a time the Federal Government is facing a general plunge in income needed for governance and others activities due to the volatility in the international prices of crude oil, the nation’s economic mainstay. A breakdown of the NPA revenue profile indicates that in 2020, the its receipts grew by 14.76 per cent to hit N350.37 billion from N305.31billion recorded in 2019.
However, in 2018, NPA recorded revenue of N284.36 billion, which was a marginal increase from N284.01billion revenue collected in 2017. The authority had raked in N203.31 billion in 2016.
Only recently, Managing Director of NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman, told newsmen that the Authority has also been able to clampdown on contractors that were not remitting government money as and when due, by ensuring that they remit same through the Single Treasury Account (TSA) as required by the Federal Government.
According to her, the agency, then also went further to reduce burden on overhead by cutting off many payments that add up to the cost such as travelling and other unnecessary overheads.