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Marketers, Truckers Boycott Lekki-Epe Over E-Call-Up Levy
Petroleum marketers and truck owners have protested the Lagos State Government’s enforcement of a controversial N12,500 e-call-up levy on trucks operating along the Lekki-Epe corridor.
There are fears that the action may launch the country into another round of fuel scarcity.
On Monday, members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) withdrew haulage and fuel trucks from the corridor in rejection of the burdensome policy.
Stakeholders said the action raises serious concerns about fuel distribution in Lagos and other parts of the country, as the Lekki axis plays a strategic role in supplying petroleum products, particularly with the presence of the massive Dangote Refinery and associated facilities.
The protesters said the e-call-up levy—part of a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative—is being enforced without adequate infrastructure or stakeholder input.
According to them, the policy does not address any actual traffic congestion, which government officials have cited as the primary reason for its implementation.
Speaking, Dele Tajudeen, immediate past Chairman of IPMAN in the South-West, said all efforts to reach accord with the government fell flat
He added:“We have had several meetings, but the government has remained adamant,” Tajudeen said. “There is no gridlock along the corridor. So why this levy? This policy is not about solving a traffic problem—it’s about enriching private interests under the pretense of public benefit.”
He further argued that the funds from the levy are not being remitted directly to the state government but rather to private partners, raising questions about transparency.
“We already pay N7,000 at the toll gate. Now an additional N12,500 is being demanded. That’s N19,500 before we even load fuel. And this money, we hear, is going to a private account—not government. This is not sustainable.”
Truck owners warned that the cost burden will be transferred to consumers, worsening economic hardship in the country.
They also said new levy could ground many businesses in the fuel distribution chain due to the rising price of diesel, vehicle maintenance, and spare parts.
Gbenga Olubasusi, Chairman of NARTO at the Lekki Free Trade Zone, said: “Trailer tyres now cost over N700,000, and trucks that used to cost N4.5 million now go for over N40 million. We are already managing so much inflation. This new levy will drive up fuel prices and everything else.”
He also faulted the absence of basic facilities for truckers in the area.
He said:“There is no government trailer park here. We use private parks and pay between N3,000 and N5,000 daily. Now they want to charge us an additional N12,500 with nothing to show in return?”
Also, Comrade Wale Oladeinde, Zonal Secretary of NARTO Southwest, explained that the action is not a strike but a strategic withdrawal of services.
“This is not industrial action. We’re simply exercising our right to stop work under unfair conditions. The trucks are privately owned, and no one can force us to operate under such policies. If Lagos insists on this levy, fuel supply will suffer, and so will the economy.”
Lamenting, Lagos State NARTO Chairman, Kayode Odunowo, said the industry cannot absorb the additional costs.
“We are totally against this charge. We cooperated in Apapa years ago with similar promises from the government, but they failed to deliver. This time, we won’t play along.”
He warned that any disruption in truck movement would have a cascading effect on the national economy.
“Containers, fuel, food—all rely on trucks. When we stop, everything stops. No NARTO, no Nigeria.”
Olaniyan Yekini, Vice Chairman of IPMAN, Mosimi Depot, questioned the rationale behind levies without infrastructure.
“Other states like Oyo and Ogun have proper trailer parks. Lagos provides parks for buses but not trucks. Yet, they want us to pay more. Are we not part of Nigeria?”
Both IPMAN and NARTO waved an olive branch, imploring the Lagos State Government to suspend the levy and invite stakeholders for genuine consultations aimed at building practical, inclusive solutions that address transport challenges without punishing operators.
“We are not against regulation,” said Oladeinde, adding that :“But it has to be fair and transparent. You don’t tax a sector without providing the enabling environment.”
Independent.ng
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Stop Politicising EFCC Investigation To Blackmail President, APC Chieftain Tells Opposition Parties
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has cautioned members of opposition parties under the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) investigation to stop blackmailing President Bola Tinubu and focus on proving their innocence.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council, said this while speaking with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo.
He said that the investigations being carried out by the anti-graft agency on some members of the opposition parties, based on petitions against them, were purely a constitutional matter and in line with international best practices.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker said that being a member of the opposition parties should not be seen as immunity against investigation into any alleged financial infractions whenever there were genuine reasons for it.
According to him, members of the ruling party are also being investigated by the EFCC whenever petitions alleging financial infractions are raised against them.
Oyintiloye said that the EFCC has a statutory mandate to investigate financial infractions involving public office holders across party lines without bias or favouritism.
The APC chieftain said that neither Tinubu nor the anti-graft agency would be swayed by unfounded allegations of witch-hunting but would rather continue to do what is right and just for the country.
“The EFCC has a mandate to investigate financial infractions against anyone, irrespective of political affiliations.
“Linking the President to the investigation of alleged financial infractions by opposition members in the name of politics is totally wrong.
“Whether you are a member of the ruling party or opposition, you are not immune to financial investigation.
“I want to caution members of the opposition parties to stop politicising what the EFCC is doing and prove their innocence, if any.
“President Tinubu is a man of honour and integrity, and he will not compromise his ideals in the name of politics. So, it is no longer business as usual,” he said.
According to him, there is no room for graft under the Tinubu administration
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election in Kano state
The returning officer, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, declared Garba Ya’u Gwarmai of the APC winner with 31,472 votes
Waziri defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Ali Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured victory in the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary election held in Kano state.
Announcing the results on Sunday morning, August 17, the returning officer (RO), Professor Muhammad Waziri from Bayero University, declared APC candidate Garba Gwarmai the winner with a total of 31,472 votes.
He defeated the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Yusuf Maigado, who polled 27,931 votes, according to The Punch.
The supplementary poll was conducted after the initial election in the constituency was declared inconclusive. With a margin of 3,541 votes, Gwarmai’s victory marks a key win for the APC as the party continues to reinforce its influence across the state.
Meanwhile, the NNPP won the Bagwai/Shanono state assembly by-election in Kano state.
Daily Trust and Vanguard noted this update.
Announcing the result at 12:36 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, the RO for the election, Prof. Hassan Adamu Shitu, declared the NNPP candidate, Ali Hassan Kiyawa, winner with 16,198 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Ahmad Muhammad Kadamu, who polled 5,347 votes.
Former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, has said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is performing well but lacks an effective communication strategy to relay its achievements to Nigerians.
Aliyu made the statement on the Thursday edition of Arise Television’s ‘The Morning Show’, while reacting to the outcome of a recent public accountability session held in Kaduna.
Aliyu, reflecting on the discussions at the Kaduna Forum, said the government is facing public dissatisfaction not because it hasn’t delivered, but because it is failing to tell its own story effectively.
The ex-governor said it is proper for political leaders in the North to make demands from Tinubu’s administration since the bulk of the votes that took power came from the region.
“Let the people understand what is happening on the ground. If by what we say that 63/64 percent of the vote came from the north, it is only logical that the north will be expecting so much from the government.
“But from what we have seen so far is that the government is doing well but they do not know how to communicate very well,” he said.
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