E-Call up has reduced amount we pay to bring trucks to the port. – Hajia Bola Muse.

The Women in Maritime Africa, Nigerian chapter have commended the efforts of the federal government in introducing the electronic call-up system in the port saying it has reduced the amount truck drivers pay to security agents on the road from N250,000 to N10,000.

Hajia Bola Muse in a chat with media men on Wednesday enthused that the system has drastically reduced the extortionist tendencies of security operatives in charge of traffic management along the ports access roads.

She maintained that the few traffic situations still being experienced around the port access roads are artificial and due to impatience of drivers.

Hajia Muse knocked drivers who present counterfeit slips recalling when they used to pay enormous sum to gain access to the port and now that they have to part with meagre sum of N10,000, telling them to be grateful.

“The E-Call Up system is working but we Nigerians are impatient people. There is no dust that does not pass through a teething stage just like a child growing up.

“We need to be patient because when we did the first testrun, everybody was happy and jubilating both in Apapa and in other places

“The traffic you see in Tincan and other places is due to impatience of drivers but I want to assure you that Eto has come to stay no matter how they try to sabotage the efforts to make it work.

“I don’t know why people want to forge because it is supposed to be a glory to all of us. Where they were paying N240,000 to N250,000 before, they now pay only N10,000, why do you still need to forge?

“The moment you have your receipt, you enter the port

On the role of the Women in Maritime Africa, (WIMA), Nigerian chapter, she said efforts are on to improve on the capacity of women to take their rightful positions in the industry.

She added that things are getting a better outlook now as all women groups in the maritime have started working together for a common goal.

Her words,”The theme of this year’s International Women Day was ‘I Choose to Challenge. We choose to challenge the oppression by men in the maritime sector, we choose to challenge maltreatment of women on board vessels, we choose to challenge intimidation by men in the maritime.

“We chose the theme to sensitise people that even though we are gender separate, we have equal rights.

“We used to have few women in the industry but we have a lot of them coming into the industry these days so see what we have been canvassing for all along.

“The most important thing now is that women are coming together to fight their cause in the industry.”