Ifeanyi Onuba , Abuja


The Federal Government on Monday said it would reintroduce tolling on the nation ’ s highways to raise the much needed funds to maintain the roads .

The Minister of Power, Works and Housing , Mr. Babatunde Fashola, stated this while addressing members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria , who visited him in his office in Abuja .

The minister ’ s position may be an endorsement of the Senate ’ s proposal in July for the return of tolls on federal roads and the setting aside of 0.5 percent of transport fares paid by passengers on inter - state trips to generate funds for the rehabilitation and maintenance of roads in the country .

Fashola said that the tolling system would only be introduced to road projects that had been completed by the government .

The minister , according to a statement by the Director of Information in the ministry , Mohammed Ahmed, also said the government would spend N 100 bn to be raised from the issuance of the sukuk bond for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of 25 arterial roads .

The sukuk bond, which has been described as a safe and low- risk investment , is being issued by Debt Management Office with a seven - year tenor .

He explained that the sum of N 16. 7 bn would be allocated for each geo - political zone across the country.

Fashola gave some of the prioritised road projects as the dualisation of Ibadan - Ilorin road , Suleja - Minna road , Kano -Maiduguri road and Lokoja -Benin road , as well as the rehabilitation of the Enugu - Port- Harcourt Expressway and the construction of the Kaduna Eastern Bypass.

The statement read in part, “ The Federal Government is reconstructing and rehabilitating 25 arterial roads with an aggressive plan to spend about N 16 . 7 bn for each geopolitical zone across the country.

“ The Minister of Power, Works and Housing , Babatunde Fashola, also stated that the ministry was in the process of re - introducing the tolling system on completed federal highways in order to sustain the maintenance of these roads . ”

The President , MAN , Dr . Frank Jacobs , commended the minister for the ongoing rehabilitation of the Lagos -Ibadan and Onitsha- Enugu expressways as well as other strategic roads across the country.

He also expressed delight with the approval of N213 bn Nigerian Electricity Market Stabilisation Facility aimed at easing some of the challenges in the electricity industry value - chain.

lalasticlala

greatiyk4u:
Not a bad idea, it will equally help in check mating crime and infiltration of armss and other harmful materials

Obinoscopy:
So why was it scrapped in the first place?

Tolexander:
Obasanjo did the scrapping then, and introduced a 1naira levy on every liter of petrol bought as substitute.

Tolexander:
Obasanjo did the scrapping then, and introduced a 1naira levy on every liter of petrol bought as substitute.

greatiyk4u:
Not a bad idea, it will equally help in check mating crime and infiltration of armss and other harmful materials

Tolexander:
Obasanjo did the scrapping then, and introduced a N1.5 levy on every liter of petrol bought as substitute.

Obinoscopy:
So Obasanjo's regime were stupid to have scrapped it right? This is also what will happen when the next govt comes into power. They will scrap the toll gate and introduce sth else......and the vicious cycle of incontinuity continues.

greatiyk4u:
Not a bad idea, it will equally help in check mating crime and infiltration of armss and other harmful materials

Obinoscopy:
So Obasanjo's regime were stupid to have scrapped it right? This is also what will happen when the next govt comes into power. They will scrap the toll gate and introduce sth else......and the vicious cycle of incontinuity continues.

WhiteRacist:
its very clear to all that black people no matter who they are or where they are from Cant run no nation. anything they touch dies.

the things done by the white before they left. all of it dies as well just after the white left. the problem of Africa is not corruption but low IQ. the average black man it doesn't matter the education they all have low IQ.

greatiyk4u:
Not a bad idea, it will equally help in check mating crime and infiltration of armss and other harmful materials

zaimeg:

Oga, it is not a checkpoint.