GUARDIAN NEWS

The federal government’s proposed plan to reintroduce toll gates on federal highways in the country has been rejected by organized labor.

The organized labor urged the federal government to put in place an efficient police before returning toll gates on federal highways.

The Nigeria Labor Congress says returning toll gates on federal highways will affect the prices of goods and services. The organized labour has rejected the proposed plan by the federal government to reintroduce toll gates on federal highways in the country.

Speaking on Saturday, October 5, organised labour urged the federal government to put in place an efficient policy before returning toll gates on federal highways. The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said the plan to reintroduce toll gates is desperation by the federal government to raise money at all cost.

The general secretary of NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja, said it is not a welcome development, adding that it is going to put extra pressure on the ordinary people and worsen the poverty level. Ugboaja, who said that it will affect the prices of goods and services, noted that Nigerian roads are bad and wondered why government intends to toll bad roads. He said: “The roads are in very bad shape across the country, how can you toll a bad road? If you have fixed the roads and you now talk of tolling to recoup the money spent and to generate money to maintain the roads, people could consider it. “But now, it is unacceptable because roads have remained the only means for transportation for humans, goods and services because the rails are not working.

It is desperation by government to raise money at all cost. “Ordinary Nigerians who have been overburdened will be forced to bear the extra burden the reintroduction of the toll gates will bring.” Ugboaja said that the federal government should talk about returning toll gates on federal highways if Nigerian roads are fixed. He said: “If people can travel from Lagos to Port Harcourt in less than seven hours, travel from Lagos to Benin City in three hours on road, or from Abuja to Lagos, to Port Harcourt in less than seven hours on a smooth road, when you talk about tolling, people will listen. “But today, the roads are in terrible conditions. It is unacceptable because it will bring nothing but more misery to the ordinary man.”