Lagos asks NUPENG to comply with e-call up system guidelines by November 10

The Lagos state government has asked the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) to comply with the electronic call-up guidelines by November 10.

The Lagos government had announced plans to implement the e-call up system on the Lekki Epe corridor from June 16 — an initiative intended to prevent a resurgence of the severe traffic congestion and infrastructure damage that once plagued the route.

Following the announcement, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) called for a review of the state government’s imposition of a N12,500 levy per truck, which came as part of the electronic call-up system.

In a statement on Thursday, according to NAN, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos commissioner for transportation, warned that failure to adhere to the system’s operational guidelines would attract enforcement actions.

Osiyemi, alongside Olawale Musa, the ministry’s permanent secretary, earlier invited officials of the NUPENG to a meeting over non-compliance with the system’s operational guidelines.

Commenting on the engagement, Osiyemi said discussions centred on NUPENG’s disregard for the online booking system, which led to cash collections and indiscriminate parking of trucks on the roads.

“This chaos is not only clogging the Lekki-Epe corridor but also compromising the efficiency of the entire system.

Reiterating the process of the e-call-up system, the commissioner said trucks must undergo validation and obtain clearance before accessing designated parks — “a straightforward process NUPENG appears to be bypassing”.

The NUPENG officials, in their responses, reportedly promised to engage their members towards carrying out the order and also attend to other issues raised.

On June 15, the Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA) called for the full implementation of the e-call-up system to regulate the movement of articulated trucks and tankers along the Lekki-Epe corridor.