….It’s a welcome development – Ogunlewe
The National President of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammed Musa, said his union supported the re-introduction of tolls on the highways, noting that the involvement of the private sector would help in the construction and management of public roads.
Bod/Bonny Road
Musa argued that the tolls would help the investors to recoup their investments on the roads.
He said, “It is a welcome idea; this is what we support. I support it in totality because we have to involve private investors in the construction and management of our roads. Once they are involved, they can recoup their investments.”
Musa explained that the nation was highly indebted and could not generate sufficient revenue to meet the infrastructure deficit in the country, adding that tolling the roads was the best option in the current situation.
On the other hand, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr Obadiah Mailafia, said although tolling of roads was a common thing worldwide, there was a need for accountability in the process.
He said, “Tollgates are not uncommon. In many parts of Europe, we have them, and America, as well. My concern is the integrity of the collection process and the integrity of the usage. This is my concern.
“How much should be collected? How is it going to be used? What are foolproof methods of ensuring that the money collected because I presume it is intended to be used to maintain the roads, and it must be used only for that purpose and effectively for that purpose.
“There must be rigorous accountability. That is the only grounds on which I can support such. If they have not worked on the nitty-gritty of that transparency process, then it is everybody’s waste of time.”
Also, the Chief Executive Officer of SD&D Capital Management Limited, Mr Idakolo Gbolade, in a telephone interview said while the re-introduction of tolls had certain advantages, there were also certain disadvantages that needed to be noted.
The advantages, he said, include the ability of the government to generate more revenue and have enough funds for road repairs and loan repayment.
He said, “Looking at the downside, there is the tendency that Nigerians will pay more for transportation.”
Also in his own reaction, former minister of Works, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, described the planned reintroduction of toll plazas on Nigeria’s major highways, as a welcome development.
Ogunlewe told one of our correspondents on Thursday that the development would ensure safety of motorists and passengers who were currently at the mercy of armed robbers and kidnappers.
He urged Nigerians to embrace the innovation as it was also being practised in other nations across the world.
He said, “The planned reintroduction of the toll plazas is a welcome development because it is one of the ways to maintain those roads.
“It is not possible for the government to maintain all the roads at the same time. The government has to rely on the private sector to handle road maintenance.”
He said the private sector would build guest rooms, provide electricity on the roads and make the roads to be very comfortable for the motorists and their passengers.
–
