The discovery of a fraudulent electronic call-up syndicate has been confirmed by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).In a statement released late on Monday night, the NPA stated that this was an attempt to confront the actions of disloyal groups undermining the Authority's electronic truck traffic management (e-CallUp) system, popularly referred to as "eto."
During a spot check of the MPS Pregate, "authority officials and security agents discovered 249 fake vehicle plate numbers and 149 units of Minimum Safety Standard (MSS) stickers," according to the NPA.
It further stated that additional examinations of the terminal revealed 164 more vehicle number plate fragments and 133 more MSS stickers that are not mounted on any trucks and are not ready to be used for proxy booking.
The NPA further disclosed that the Terminal Manager was invited for interrogation and that the phony license plates and MSS tickets were promptly seized.
According to the statement, this event supports the Authority's contention that there is a concerted effort to weaken the computerized call-up system.
In the meantime, the Authority implemented the computerized call-up system to do away with the need for human interaction in port traffic management.
The NPA claims that it is a sustainable solution to the threat of traffic congestion harming the country's economy.
To develop the marine industry to the fullest extent possible, the Nigerian Ports Authority is committed to consolidating the e-call-up project and its other process automation projects, according to the statement.