Continued from https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-775701.0.html#msg9512960

Motorists to pay toll on Lekki road
By Miriam Ndikanwu 14 hours 1 minute ago

Motorists plying the Lekki-Epe Expressway would soon begin to pay toll on the road redeveloped by Messrs Lekki Concession Company (LCC), it was learnt yesterday.

Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola has lifted the January 3 suspension on toll collection by the concessionaire.

The governor stayed action on the collection in the wake of demonstration and criticisms by stakeholders on the Lekki corridor.

Fashola spoke at the presentation of next year’s budget estimates to the House of Assembly for approval.

He said the lifting of the suspension has become imperative because the state had lost N4billion to the non implementation of toll.

Justifying the action, the governor said: “The politically motivated resistance to the commencement of toll collection on the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe Expressway means that your government had to part with N4 billion for year 2011 which could have been used to provide more schools, inner roads, hospitals and social needs in Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe areas.”

[b] He described the development as a sensible and necessary decision in order to maintain the much-needed and growing investor confidence in the Lagos economy, maintain credit rating and reduce credit risk.

“It was critical to maintaining the stream of emerging investments required to create business opportunity and jobs for young people.” he added.

He explained that the government had an obligation to pay the concessionaire N4billion in accordance with the agreement it signed with Messrs LCC to commence operation of the toll.

He, however, commended the Federal Government’s decision to lift the ban on toll collection, describing the decision as “sensible and necessary in order to maintain much needed and growing investor confidence in the Lagos economy, in order to maintain our credit rating and reduce our credit risk.”

“Regrettably, however, our financial realities cannot sustain such funding to the detriment of other developments that are crying out for funding in other parts of the state.

It is undeniable that Property values have appreciated in that area because of the road work on Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway; we have also recently completed the Falomo ramp. It is only fair that the investors begin to collect their toll.”[/b]

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/26329-motorists-to-pay-toll-on-lekki-road.html

Fashola re-introduces toll on Lekki-Epe road

Written by Kunle Awosiyan, Lagos
Tuesday, 15 November 2011

As part of effort to meet the 2012 revenue target, Lagos State governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has re-introduced toll on Lekki-Epe Expressway, saying that government lost N4 billion for failing to collect the toll in 2011.

He made this pronouncement at the presentation of the 2012 budget to the state House of Assembly, adding that the N4billion could have been used to provide other developmental projects across the state.

The government stopped the plan to collect toll on the road, following series of unrest and threat by the residents who described the idea as exploitation by the state government.

According to the governor, the concessionaire, Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC), who financed the project will reserve the right to announce the new take-off of the toll which was earlier scheduled to commence on January 3, 2011 before the indefinite suspension.

Fashola said: “The politically motivated resistance to the commencement of toll collection on the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe Expressway means that the government had to part with N4billion for year 2011 which could have been used to provide more schools, inner roads, hospitals and social needs in Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe areas. This decision was sensible and necessary in order to maintain much needed and growing investor confidence in the Lagos economy, in order to maintain our credit rating and reduce our credit risk. It was critical to maintaining the stream of emerging investments required to create business opportunity and jobs for young people.”

“Regrettably however, our financial realities cannot sustain such funding to the detriment of other developments that are crying out for funding in other parts of the state.”

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/31223-fashola-re-introduces-toll-on-lekki-epe-road

Lekki Toll Gate: Residents Should Dialogue With Fashola

The calm which has pervaded the Lekki landscape in the last one year is about to be disrupted following the threat by the residents to resist collection of toll on the Lekki-Epe expressway.

This threat is coming on the heels of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s decison to formally lift the suspension on the collection of toll on the modernised expressway.

The governor who announced the lifting of the suspension of toll on the expressway while presenting the 2012 budget had posited that government could no longer bear the huge financial outlay on the expressway and that there is need to generate money to offset the billions of Naira use in constructing the road.

According to the governor, his administration had spent N4 billion this year alone to pay part of the toll which road users refused to pay.

“The politically motivated resistance to the commencement of toll collection on the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe expressway means that your government had to part with N4 billion this year.,” he stated.

The governor posited further that the money could have been used to provide more schools, inner roads, hospitals and social needs in Eti Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe areas.

Concluding Governor Fashola said he was lifting the suspension on toll collection and directed the Lekki Concession Company, the concessionaire, to announce the date for commencement of collection of tolls on the expressway.

This announcement by the governor, we must say, did not go down well with some interests in the area and have started sensitising their supporters to resist the governor’s move.

As a stakeholder in the greater Lagos project, it is our opinion that this is not the best time to stir rancour in any part of the state. It is not because the state needs all the goodwill it could garner to sustain its current tempo of development. It also needs peace to be able to execute all the developmental projects.

With the current insecurity in the country as signposted by the Boko Haram threat, Lagos can hardly afford to give envious enemies of the state the opportunity to wreak havoc in its domains.

This is why we are pleading for caution on the part of the government and residents of Lekki opposed to the introduction of tolls on the expressway.

We feel the best solution to resolve the disagreement is for both parties to show understanding and initiate a dialogue towards resolving the differences betweeen them.

Residents of Lekki should remember that the Fashola administration is their government and they contributed in putting it into power. They must not be seen to be doing anything that will undermine the stability of the government to fulfill its promises to them.

They should realise that government meant well for them and the introduction of toll was not meant to increase their burden but an avenue for the government to generate revenue to be ablle to fulfill its promises to them.

We also want the government to tread softly, softly in reintroducing toll on the expressway. Maybe what the government should do is to embark on an enlightenment campaign to educate Lekki residents once more on the imperatives of collecting toll on the road.

The governor can grant some concessions to commuter buses plying the route to prevent them passing the burden of toll to commuters in form of higher transport fares.

The government should also embark on the construction of hospitals, maternity centres, schools and provide potable water for residents to reassure them that it means well in the introduction of tolls on the expressway.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/11/15/lekki-toll-gate-residents-should-dialogue-with-fashola/

johnie:

As a stakeholder in the greater Lagos project, it is our opinion that this is not the best time to stir rancour in any part of the state. It is not because the state needs all the goodwill it could garner to sustain its current tempo of development. It also needs peace to be able to execute all the developmental projects.

With the current insecurity in the country as signposted by the Boko Haram threat, Lagos can hardly afford to give envious enemies of the state the opportunity to wreak havoc in its domains.

This is why we are pleading for caution on the part of the government and residents of Lekki opposed to the introduction of tolls on the expressway.

We feel the best solution to resolve the disagreement is for both parties to show understanding and initiate a dialogue towards resolving the differences betweeen them.

Residents of Lekki should remember that the Fashola administration is their government and they contributed in putting it into power. They must not be seen to be doing anything that will undermine the stability of the government to fulfill its promises to them.

They should realise that government meant well for them and the introduction of toll was not meant to increase their burden but an avenue for the government to generate revenue to be ablle to fulfill its promises to them.

We also want the government to tread softly, softly in reintroducing toll on the expressway. Maybe what the government should do is to embark on an enlightenment campaign to educate Lekki residents once more on the imperatives of collecting toll on the road.

The governor can grant some concessions to commuter buses plying the route to prevent them passing the burden of toll to commuters in form of higher transport fares.

The government should also embark on the construction of hospitals, maternity centres, schools and provide potable water for residents to reassure them that it means well in the introduction of tolls on the expressway.

http://pmnewsnigeria.com/2011/11/15/lekki-toll-gate-residents-should-dialogue-with-fashola/

Who said this?

Is this a news report or an opinion?

Hmm. Thanks for the update.

How about the court orders? Abi dem wan begin flout court order? Please save us from their greed.

I don't understand Fashola on this.
the issues that raised the political agitation against the toll, have they been addressed?
That is what he should have addressed instead of telling us how muchthe govt had lost in the period under review.
the court cases have they been resolved?

on one hand he is praising the return of tolls by the federal govt,on another hand Lai Mohammed is releasing press reports castigating the govt for daring to return polls.
who is fooling who?

When did he and Lai Muhammed become the same person?

No toll = money out of his budget. So why would he be opposed to tolls given that this is the only business model Lagos can likely use to get world-class infrastructure?

^^^^
But ACN (through its spokesman Lai Mohammed) has condenmed the govt for attempting to bring back tolls on the highways.
Why is it good for Lagos but bad for the rest of the country?

Regarding your first comment, politicians within parties may disagree about policy. This is an ordinary thing, as you may already know.

Regarding your second comment, to my knowledge the Lagos model is different from that elsewhere in Nigeria. For this and other reasons, not necessarily an apples and apples comparison.

Mbulela

The day Lagos state government starts collecting tax on petrol consumed, you can harass them on tolled roads, the Lekki express way is a PPP project, the PPP guys must make their money back, I wish Fashola will just build more of those roads and toll them, we will be spared the cost of new spare parts with all these bad roads everywhere.

hercules07:

Mbulela

The day Lagos state government starts collecting tax on petrol consumed, you can harass them on tolled roads, the Lekki express way is a PPP project, the PPP guys must make their money back, I wish Fashola will just build more of those roads and toll them, we will be spared the cost of new spare parts with all these bad roads everywhere.

I personally do not have a problem with tolls. my problems with both Fashola and the fed govt are tolling an uncomplete road, not fixing the alternative first before tolling and tolling death traps that budgets of billions for its rehabilitation have been eaten by barbarians.
you talk of tax on perol consumed, there also taxes that the state govt collects that opponents of the toll will point to as reason for opposing the toll.

The roads might not be fully completed but they have done some good part, let the lagos state government roll up the roads and bring them down to my area, I will gladly pay toll, the more infrastructure that come to an area, the higher the worth of the properties there, why are the Lekki people just being stubborn.

you are not being very fair. we all like good roads. i am not immune to them but a few things are just not right.
the federal govt should repair highways before tolling them. they can repair some, toll them and use the revenue to repair the rest before tolling those.
Fashola and his PPP peeps should complete the road and repair the alternative before tolling lekki express. this is my view.

Let them toll the section they have completed, complete others and continue tolling, the federal government is also not providing an alternative route to ibadan and that road is to be tolled. I am more sympathetic to states tolling than the FG because I know good road construction cost money that they do not have.

tolling an uncompleted road should be a criminal act punishable by stoning!!
you are asking a fed govt that can't maintain major roads to provide alternatives? you must be kidding. they are too incompetent for that.

They should toll the completed part, shebi they are going to have three tolling points, let them toll the part that is completed, as per the FG, let them fix the roads and toll them, too many lives are being lost.

i agree with you on the 2nd part but disagree on the 1st.
complete all roads before tolling.

Why should they have 3 tolls on that short stretch?

Also, Obasanjo had introduced petrol tax. It goes to increase the landing cost. I think it is N.80 per litre or thereabouts. He introduced it when he destroyed the tolls.

@Hercules.,.,.,
Are you high on something.
How can you say that it is okay for them to toll the completed part. The agreement was to toll, the completed road and not just a section. What would be d justification for tolling then?
Lekki Epe expressway was perfectly okay before. I dont recall the road having any pothole problems. The selling point of this supposed tolled 3 lane road is the "alleviation of traffic". If all they would do is add one lane to the side and people still have to deal with traffic that has always crippled the road, then whats the point of the toll.
You expect people to be happy that LCC will use the toll money to finish the other parts of the road. This like someone earlier said is a crime and should be punishable by FIRING SQUAD.
Fashola is an idiot for this one. He suspended the toll simply because of the elections.

@Phuck

I am aware there will be three tolls, that means the road is broken down into sections, it is possible that the guy are running short on cash, why not make them toll the section that is complete, the Lagos state government is losing money paying for the road as it is. The FG road within the Airport is being tolled and there has been no construction done on that road for ages.

^^^^^^
@hercules

Please tell me you are kidding because if you are not, ha, ha, something is wrong somewhere.
How can you open your mouth and state that it is possible that they company might be running short of money. They are not running a charity organisation and will be COLLECTING TOLL ON THAT ROAD FOR 30 YEARS so why should hardworking citizens have to pay toll for a PRVATE COMPANY to complete their work. How is Lagos state losing money? The people living in the lekki/ajah axis pay TAXES. They are the ones losing money and beign ripped off.
BTW, the Lagos state government is not paying no money for the road. If they are, well, please tell me what the responsibilty of the govt is if not to fix roads and stuff

@Phuck

I am sure that the agreement between LASG and the company states how tolls will be collected, as per states fixing roads, yes it is their duty, but, they can not fix all the roads and where affluent people live will be taxed more.

Toll Collection on Lekki-Epe Expressway Begins Dec 18
02 Dec 2011

By Benneth Oghifo

Lagos State government Thursday said it would commence payment of tolls by motorists plying the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe Expressway redeveloped by Messrs Lekki Concession Company (LCC) from December 18.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Aderemi Ibirogba, at a joint press conference with LCC’s team in Lagos, said government decided to go ahead with toll collection because some of the alternative routes created for people who don’t want to patronise the LCC facilities are now ready for use.

The state government had stayed action on the collection of tolls on the roads in the wake of demonstration and criticisms by stakeholders on the Lekki corridor.

However, Managing Director/ CEO of LCC, Mr. Opuiyo Oforiokuma, who expressed the readiness of his company to ensure road users get full benefits for their money said road users, can avoid the payment of tolls by using alternative routes created by the state government. Such people, according to him, can still make use of the expressway by gaining access to the road through some of the adjacent roads, which funnel into the expressway.

For instance, Toll Plaza 1 has an alternative road through Oniru Arch-City David Road-Market and back on the expressway. Dismissing the gale of criticisms that greeted the earlier attempts to introduce tolls on the road, Oforiokuma said infrastructure projects are capital intensive, adding that it is difficult for any government to meet all the infrastructural needs of the people. “It is about time we recognise the need to pay for what we use, infrastructure is not free,” he said.

According to him, the company process transactions in excess of 2 million month, explaining that the highest peak period of traffic flow recorded was in October when the figure hit approximately 8,000 vehicles. He said the delay over the project was caused by demographical challenge in the state.

To make things easy for users of the road, the LCCI chief said facilities like towing vehicle service, ambulance and a good security arrangement have been put in place by his company.

The state governor had earlier in the year explained that the initial resistance to the commencement of toll collection on the Eti-Osa, Lekki-Epe Expressway means that the state would have to part with N4 billion for this year, which could have been used to provide more schools, inner roads, hospitals and social needs in Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Epe areas.”

He described the development as a sensible and necessary decision in order to maintain the much-needed and growing investor confidence in the Lagos economy, maintain credit rating and reduce credit risk.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/toll-collection-on-lekki-epe-expressway-begins-dec-18/104106/

na wa o. all the moving around of this thread has finally killed it. no more picshurressss,

^-- Yep. Moderators have thoroughly snuffed the life out of what was once a great thread

Fashola disappointed me with the statement - "politically motivated resistance" to the tollgates. He's sounding like more and more like the average naija politician. Wetin concern residents with politics.

Let them start first now, abi? They've put armed MOPOLs and Area Boys dressed as bodyguards in the place to force Lagosians to pay. We shall see whether they will collect it at gunpoint. I hope they're ready to kill many people, because Lagosians will not stand for this slavery. We fought off the British Colonialists and the Military. Lagosians are nobody's slaves. Neither Jonathan and his houseboy Aganga, nor Tinubu and his houseboy, Fashola, will be able to withstand the firestorm that will engulf Bola Tinubu and his people from the 18th. We have been waiting for them.

Tinubu and his houseboy will remember 18th December 2011 for all the wrong reasons. Mark my words.

Nigerians! Una like to enjoy good thing but una no wan pay. Good things cost money. Fashola is on point.

is the alternative route ready ?


How many towing trucks are they providing and is the service free?

Why is it that those who have the money are the ones not ready to pay the tolls, abeg Fashola should bring the road to my area and we will pay jare. How many of you guys here are shouting on the FG to demolish the tolls setup on the road between the local airport and the International one?