Alarmed at the frightening level of decay witnessed on the nation’s highways, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reintroduce toll gates to enable government rehabilitate the roads.
It would be recalled that former President Olusegun Obasanjo abolished toll gate fees collection on the nation’s highways about 12 years ago.
Obasanjo, who said that toll gates had outlived its usefulness, had on December 30, 2003 disbanded them across the country with effect from January 1st, 2004.
He pointed out that the scheme was imposing unnecessary financial burden on the federal government and Nigerians who were also overburdened by other demands.
Consequently, the upper chamber yesterday mandated its Committee on Works to carefully study the toll gate policy together with other relevant stakeholders on effective and efficient ways to carry out the policy aimed at producing a holistic package to generate funds for roads maintenance.
In December 2015, the Senate passed a motion calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to reintroduce toll gates across the country in order to reduce the burdens on the roads. After waiting for ten months without any response from the President in respect of their demand, the red chamber renewed its move yesterday when it passed the resolution.
The resolution was sequel to a motion moved by Senator Suleiman Nazif on the need for the re-establishment of toll gates on our federal highways.
SOURCE: Thebreakingtmes
