Tanker drivers suspend loading over e-call-up fee
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has directed its members to halt the programming and loading of trucks destined for the Lekki-Epe Corridor from June 16, 2025, in protest against the recently introduced N12,500 e-call-up system fee by the Lagos State Government, which kicked off formally yesterday.
In a memo by its National President, Billy Gillis-Harry, and the National Secretary, Adedibu Aderibigbe, PETROAN kicked against the fee as insensitive and far above the N2,500 per truck charge earlier proposed by industry stakeholders.
The association stated that its proposed amount was more realistic in light of prevailing economic challenges.
It said that despite several engagements with the Lagos State Government and other authorities, no agreement had been reached, prompting the decision to suspend activities along the corridor until a “mutually agreeable resolution” is secured.
The association, therefore, called on all zonal and state chairmen to enforce the directive and urged members to remain united while consultations with the state government continue.
It also emphasised the need for a “fair and sustainable outcome” for industry operators and the public.
Copies of the memo were sent to several key stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), and relevant security agencies, such as the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Responding, the Lagos State government said that the deployment of the e-call-up system for tankers on the Lekki-Epe Corridor had been germane because of the implication of not having a regulated system in place.
Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Bolanle Ogunlola, stated that the reality is that road users have started experiencing eight to 10 hours on the Lekki-Epe Corridor, and the e-call-up system will regulate and normalise the traffic challenges being experienced by road users.
“We urge the NARTO and IPMA to willfully comply in the interest of all and sundry,” she stated.
