The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has strongly rejected a press statement issued a day earlier by Prince Adeyinka Aroyewun, who presents himself as National President of the Council of Maritime Truck Unions and Associations (COMTUA). AMATO described the statement, titled “AMATO’S HYPOCRISY ON EXTORTION: COME TO EQUITY WITH CLEAN HANDS,” as misleading, inflammatory and lacking factual foundation.
In a formal response signed by its National Secretary General, Mohammed Sani Bala, AMATO insisted it has never supported extortion in any form. The association said its position remains consistent: no truck owner or driver should face multiple ticketing, illegal levies, intimidation, harassment or extortion along Lagos logistics corridors, regardless of who is responsible.
“Our campaign against extortion is not selective. We condemn extortion by any union, association, government agency, tout, or individual,” the statement declared. AMATO expressed disappointment that COMTUA chose to attack it for speaking out against unlawful practices affecting truck owners and drivers.
AMATO drew a clear distinction between legitimate union dues and forced collections from non-members. It acknowledged the right of unions such as the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) to collect dues from their own willing members. However, it firmly opposed any attempt to stop, intimidate or compel non-member truckers to pay union dues or buy tickets through roadside enforcement.
The association challenged COMTUA to produce concrete evidence for serious allegations that AMATO members were unlawfully occupying roads, extorting truckers, operating alongside NURTW and RTEAN, or forcing the purchase of RTEAN tickets. AMATO said any claims involving persons in reflective jackets bearing its inscription must be backed by names, dates, locations, photographs, videos, receipts or official reports submitted to the appropriate authorities. It refused to be distracted by “sweeping and unsubstantiated accusations made through the media.”
On the Lagos State harmonised daily truck ticket, AMATO clarified that the initiative is fundamentally different from union membership dues. Its purpose, the association said, is to reduce the multiplicity of tickets and charges and promote ease of doing business. The Lagos State Truck and Cargo Operators Committee (LASTCOC), which oversees the system, is not an AMATO-only body. It includes representatives from AMATO and other stakeholders, some of whom historically participated in COMTUA structures. AMATO noted that the current COMTUA president was himself a signatory to the process that established the harmonised charges, and warned against misrepresenting LASTCOC as an AMATO-controlled arrangement.
AMATO also rejected claims that it had “occupied” roads vacated by NURTW and RTEAN. As an association of maritime truck owners, it said its primary interest is protecting members and fostering a safe, transparent operating environment. It does not own or control public roads and urged anyone spotting illegal activity in its name to report it to the authorities.
Regarding an alleged Memorandum of Understanding involving the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Lagos State Government and AMATO, the association said the document confers no right to make unsupported allegations. Any party claiming a breach should identify the specific provision, the responsible party and supporting evidence. AMATO said it remains ready to address legitimate concerns through proper institutional channels.
The association reiterated that it has never denied NURTW or RTEAN the right to operate as legally recognised bodies or collect dues from members. Its objection is strictly to roadside extortion, multiple ticketing and compulsory charges imposed on non-members. The same standard, it stressed, applies to AMATO itself: any representative found engaging in unlawful collection or intimidation will face investigation.
AMATO rejected what it called COMTUA’s attempt to divert attention from the real problems of extortion, multiple ticketing and harassment facing maritime truck owners and drivers. It reaffirmed its commitment to the rule of law, freedom of association, ease of doing transportation business, transparency, accountability, and the elimination of unlawful collections.
“AMATO has nothing to hide and will not be intimidated or distracted from speaking for the legitimate interests and welfare of maritime truck owners and drivers,” the statement ended.
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