- Payment glitches at Makurdi Toll Gate
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday cautioned the Federal Government against tolling the highways without first fixing them.
In a communiqué issued at the end of its first quarter National Administrative Council (NAC) and signed by its President, Festus Osifo, and General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, the TUC demanded the rehabilitation of the selected roads.
On Tuesday, the government announced the reintroduction of tolling on some selected expressways kicking off with the 227.2-kilometer Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi Highway.
Osifo, who read the communiqué, urged the government to pull the brake on its plans.
The TUC also kicked against any attempt to increase telecom tariff, saying it will compound the present economic hardship Nigerians are going through.
The Congress, which blamed the hardship in the country on government policies like the floatation of the naira, wondered why the Federal Government would initiate policies bothering the citizens without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
The Labour centre said it was annoying that most of the roads which are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes should be opened for collecting tolls.
The communiqué reads: “NAC deliberated on the proposed introduction of toll gates on selected federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirety. While we acknowledge that tolling is a globally recognised method of generating revenue for road maintenance, it is unacceptable to impose tolls on roads that are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes.
“The NAC views this as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads that are in total disrepair. Our highways are death traps, unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes. Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.
“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained.”
Although, the Federal Government debunked plans to raise electricity tariff by 65 per cent, the TUC said it was alarming that the government even considered the hike in the first instance.
The Congress lamented that the previous increment already inflicted severe hardship on citizens.
It said: “This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.
“The improved service quality promised during the last tariff hike, particularly for consumers under the so-called “Band A” category, has not been realised. Most consumers, regardless of their tariff band, continue to live in perpetual darkness.”
The Congress observed that the root cause of escalating prices and galloping inflation was the devaluation of the naira.
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Osifo said that in February 2024, the TUC addressed a world press conference, where it clearly stated that the excessive devaluation of the naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services.
He said the Congress also warned that this trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.
Osifo said that twelve months later, the Congress position remained unchanged, alleging that the symptoms of the root cause have manifested clearly.
Motorists trying to go through the Makurdi-Lafia-Abuja Road Toll Gate have been experiencing difficulties in paying the fare due to network issues from bank transfers and Point of Sale (PoS) transactions.
They were required to pay the toll fare through Automated Teller Machine (ATM) or bank transfer, as payment in cash was not allowed. However, those who could not pay through the electronic channels were denied passage.
There were complaints of over-deduction from some motorists who made payments through the designated bank transfers and PoS machines.
A motorist, Friday Uche, who wanted to travel to Akwanga with other relatives since Wednesday, alleged that they were stopped because they did not have an ATM to make payment, and he could not make a transfer.
Uche said they had no option but to pass the night in Makurdi on Wednesday, adding that he was still making efforts to see if they could pay and pass.
Another motorist, Mrs. Gloria Tyoapine, said the operators of the toll gate machines were mostly inexperienced and not well trained, hence the reported cases of over-deduction.
She said: “What is happening here is terrible. You have your money but can’t pay cash. They are operating a cashless policy here, and most of their staff members are not well trained.
“A few minutes ago, a motorist who was to pay N500 was deducted N5, 000. These members of staff don’t even have the capacity for a refund.
“Another issue is that of network glitches. This is really causing a lot of problems for motorists.”
Assistant Plaza Manager, Makurdi Toll Plaza, Mrs. Grace Rifunji, declined comments on the issues, saying she was not authorized to speak on the matter.
She, however, referred the reporter to Catamaran Nigeria Limited, managers of the toll gates through the Federal Ministry of Works.
