I grew up to meet tollgates or toll plazas in different parts of the country. Once commuters get to the toll gates, they stop, pay the required toll fee and they are issued with receipts, and sometimes the commuter is given change if the money he gave requires change. One of the disadvantages of the toll gates then was that it caused a lot of traffic jam because commuters needed to stop, pay and collect change where necessary.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his own wisdom ordered the demolition of tollgates in 2003, saying that roads should be maintained through the revenue from the increase in fuel price and maintained that toll plazas caused a lot of delay for motorists and man hour was wasted.
There are myriads of problems confronting this country, and unless the government at the centre takes proactive steps to put things aright, the country will collapse because of corruption and the high moral decay in the society.
Although toll plazas have been abolished many years ago but they are still being operated by different institutions of the federal government till this moment. Recently, I travelled to Benin City, capital of Edo State for an important engagement, and because of the fuel situation in the country, coupled with the bad conditions of our federal roads, I decided to join public transport at the summit park. The roads are in very deplorable conditions that one begins to wonder what is really happening in this country. The Benin/Abuja highway that was started many years ago is still not completed. The Auchi axis of the road is a no go area, but the federal government is embarking on another gigantic coastal road project that will run from Lagos to Calabar, the Cross River State capital. As I write this piece, properties of innocent citizens have been bulldozed by the Engineer Dave Umahi led ministry of Works, to give way for this gigantic project.
When I got to the park, I boarded a Siena vehicle and the passenger capacity was eight. One at the front, four at the centre and three at the back seat. Everybody paid seven thousand (7,000) naira per head, while those with loads, pay extra amount of money. Right there, before the driver left, he settled the Motor Park authority or the agboros as they are popularly called.
On our way, he stopped at one of the filling stations and bought petrol of N 35,000. Remember that the total number of passengers was eight and when you multiply eight by seven thousand naira, the total amount will be N56,000 only.
As we move, the first federal government institution tollgate was the check point between Issele-Azagba and Otulu. The amount he paid to a particular federal government agency in charge of ensuring safety of drivers and passengers on the highway, was five hundred naira, and this amount is non-negotiable. When you carry heavy load, the money increases to one thousand naira and above. The driver revealed to us that there is a sticker they sell and once you have it, you are exempted from every passage toll fee. This is because the sticker is renewable like the drivers’ license. In fact, the driver was able to show us the sticker on the windscreen of a popular transport company. A very bold sticker that belongs to a government agency in Nigeria, just for the extortion of money from the poor and struggling drivers, who suffer to buy fuel at very exorbitant prices. The irony of it is that as we move, I discovered that the driver has no horn and the side mirror is also broken. This agency is never concerned about that as long as you pay the toll fee. The next toll gate was at Issele- Uku, where the driver also dropped two hundred to an institution that is meant to provide security for the people, and ensure that people are psychologically monitored even as passengers, but the reverse is the case, because once a driver gets there, all he needs to do is to squeeze the money in their palms and he is free to go. Even if you carry human head, no problem.
On this particular journey, I counted about fifteen check points or to say the truth, toll gates from Asaba to Benin- City. On our way back, I experienced the same thing. What it means is that for a driver to travel from Asaba to Benin and back, he has to pay toll gates to about thirty toll agents along the roads. This is unacceptable and people should speak up. This country is collapsing and people see it as a normal way of life. People experience this every day but nobody wants to act, and the problem is that when you ask the officers concerned, they will tell you that the money is sent to the big men at the top. This is not far from the truth because people have complained to the higher authorities but they have refused to act.
The government should wake up from their slumber and stop these illegal toll plazas stationed at every nook and cranny of this country.
