It’d be recalled that on the 16th of December, 2021, the Governor of the central bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele had said most of the constructed roads in Nigeria would be tolled to repay the loans used to fund them.
The question Mr Godwin Emefiele should ask himself is which roads in facts are going to be tolled? Is it the bad lagos-ibadan expressway that has claimed plethora of lives of the citizens or the Benin-Abuja roads that has become safe den for robbers, kiddnappers, herdsmen et all to carry out their nefarious, ungodly and unholy activities that would be tolled.
Or is it the roads in our local communities that are barely motorable and causes breakdown of vehicles that are going to be tolled?
Or is it the roads that citizens have contributed to patch, to avoid deaths and breakdown of cars?
Which roads exactly does the CBN Governor intend to toll? Until Mr Godwin Emefiele shows the good people of Nigeria the good roads that have neither claimed the lives of the citizens or become safe haven for kidnappers and thieves, Nigerians will not pay for usage of any road.
The wicked and draconian administration of Buhari cannot keep on impoverishing the masses through arbitrary levies.
Is the Governor expecting that citizens who have lost loved ones, properties and are even victims of the said roads themselves, to pay for their usage?, well we all know the answer.
The citizens are scared to travel or even ply these roads, even as they travel or ply these roads, everyone calls on their respective gods for safety and protection from kidnappers, armed robbers or even death as a result of the bad state of the road, it is that bad.
With the state of the roads currently, the lives of citizens are at precarious state as against the holding of Section14 (2)(b), 1999 CFRN.
As a matter of law, Part 1, Second schedule, 1999 CFRN expressly places the responsibilities of construction, alteration and maintenance of roads with the executive arm of government and not the already suffering masses of the country.
It suffices to say that the wordings of Mr Godwin Emefiele saying that the people would pay for usage of roads is in contradistinction to the spirited letters of the constitution. The wordings of the CBN governor should not only be disregarded and debunked but should be treated with disdain.
The locust days of trying to impoverish the citizenry with draconian policies and arbitrary levies are over.
The good people of Nigeria will resist this move with all forms of civil actions at its disposal.
Aluta Continua.
JOSEPH ALIU is a Human Rights Activist, Good Governance Advocate and can be reached via, 09085773212, 09131704196, aliujoseph085@gmail.com
