Following the Federal Government’s move to reintroduce tollgates and collections on designated highways across the country as announced by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, Wednesday, reacted with mixed views about the move.

Without transparency, FG’s tollgates will be monumental fraud — CNDC

Convener, Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Ariyo-Dare Atoye, said, “The reintroduction of tolling on major highways will never be welcomed by Nigerians if the process is not digitised and opened up to transparency, accountability and for security use.

“There is no gainsaying to the fact that money generated from these tollgates can help to repair and maintain our roads if well utilised.

“In addition, the temporary stoppage that these tollgates will provide could help to break speed and reduce the incidents of accidents.

“I will urge the government to equally mount real-time CCTV on these tollgates to aid security monitoring and protect the isolated people who will mount these tollgates.

The Executive Director, Civil Society Legislative Advocacy, CISLAC, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said, “The challenge has not been the lack of revenue. Rather, it has been a case of the mismanagement of revenue. The government has borrowed so much for the infrastructure we even have the SUKUK bonds and the likes.

“Now the government is about to impose levies on citizens amidst the currently existing economic hardship and an unemployment rate of 33 per cent.

“Our position at CISLAC remains that if the loopholes caused by corruption practices are not plugged, we will still be where we are with the citizens suffering multiple taxations. Hence, our position is that the government should ensure the transparent management of these resources.

“The common denominator of these issues you have mentioned is corruption. When funds earmarked for roads and security is not properly utilized, the resultant effect is these ills you have mentioned. Hence, the issue is not about the number of toll gates, the problem is managing the proceeds gotten from these toll gates.

“If the government is ready to put measures in place that promotes technology and drastically reduce human interference, then there is a possibility. However, if the common practice of mismanagement is sustained, then I am afraid, it can’t be transparent.

“On a personal note, the government needs to properly account for previous allocations, loans, and bonds that have been channeled into road construction before overburdening citizens with taxes.”

Tollgate move by FG is anti-people policy — CN

The Convener, Concerned Nigerians, CN, Deji Adeyanju, said, “Nigerians don’t trust the government because there is lack of trust between the people and the government because this government has exhausted its credibility limit to the Nigerian people.

“So nothing all can come out of this initiative because the insecurity in the cont is in another level and it is just unbelievable what is going on in the con the Kaduna- Abuja road is fallen into the hands of bandits, so I don’t see the reason why the government will want to toll bad roads, because most of the roads are insecure.

“They just want to set the Nigerian people up and make them open to unknown gunmen because those toll points will become flash-points for adoptions of innocent Nigerians.

“The tollgate is about corruption because the government has no business doing business in Nigerian this is going to make some people rich, and this is going to be another avenue for corruption, and nothing will come out of this.

“On the issue of transparency, the government does not have the capacity to be transparent. Look at the social intervention scheme is shred in fraud and corruption. So the tollgate is unnecessary, and for government to think of the anti-people policy.”

FG needs to first build the confidence of Nigerians — Yiaga Africa

The Programme Manager, Elections, Yiaga Africa, Paul James, said, “Tollgates in itself are not a bad idea as proceeds from the tolls can be used to improve the state of the roads.

“This can only be a welcome development if there would be a transparent framework to track accountability of the entire process.

“The government also has to improve the current conditions of the roads to further motivate citizens on how their taxes will be used.

“Also, the government should be transparent in contracting the toll gates project as this should not be contracted to political allies who may up exploiting Nigerians in the process.

“The issue of kidnapping and armed robbery is substantially a security issue that needs to be addressed by a combination of security agencies and deployment of better strategy while toll gate has to do with generating funds for the improvement of roads.

“Also reintroduction of tolls will not directly have impact on the current high transportation cost as this as the current cost of transportation may be directly related to increased cost of fuel than bad roads.

“However, road accidents caused by bad roads can be substantially reduced IF proceeds from tolls are judiciously used to rehabilitate the roads.

“The deployment of toll gates can be sustained if the government provides periodic updates on funds generated and how it’s being expended.

“Similarly, there is need to be equity in the distribution of tolls across the country and also equity in utilization of funds generated.”

Bringing back tollgates at this time huge error — HOMEF

The Director, Health For Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, Arc Nnimmo Bassey, said, “Taxing people for using unsafe and broken highways is incredible. Honestly, it is a hard to believe that this is a policy at a time when we have unceasing levels of poverty, unemployment and a reign of misery.

“Governance isn’t about squeezing citizens to the bones. It would appear that after a torrent of borrowings the next thing to do is to return the toll gates.

“It reminds one of a business lady in Abuja that was taxed N50, 000 for carbon emissions released by her using an electricity generator. Some of us question how much Aso Rock is paying for the huge generators they are using the massive electricity generators that they use. If this is a carbon tax, how much are those flaring gas in the oil field communities paying?

“Hapless Nigerians are paying through the nose to escape from the dens of violent people laying siege to our highways.

“Bringing back tollgates at this time is a huge error. It is very sad that these will be additional to the numerous mobile toll gates mounted by security personnel on our highways.”