The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has strongly condemned the Federal Government?s plan to impose tolls on more federal roads, describing it as another outrageous and toxic policy that will further burden already struggling Nigerians.

Reacting to the statement by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, that major roads across Nigeria?s six geopolitical zones and key economic corridors would be tolled, HURIWA said the plan is yet another means of fleecing poor Nigerians who are already grappling with multiple economic hardships imposed by the government.

?This government continues to pile economic hardship on Nigerians through unjustifiable hikes in essential services. We have seen an increase in fuel prices, electricity tariffs, telecommunication charges, and now an impending road toll policy. It is clear that the administration is only interested in exploiting its citizens while failing to provide the basic social infrastructure and services that should be the responsibility of any serious government, HURIWA stated.

The rights group noted that since the assumption of office by President Bola Tinubu, Nigerians have been subjected to a series of aggressive economic policies that have significantly reduced their purchasing power and quality of life. ?Among these are the abrupt removal of the fuel subsidy in May 2023, which caused fuel prices to skyrocket from around N190 per litre to over N650 and further upward review to over N1, 000 per litre, leading to inflationary pressures on goods and services across the country.

?The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) approved a sharp increase in electricity tariffs for Band A customers in April 2024, raising the rate from N66 per kilowatt-hour to N225 per kilowatt-hour, further worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerians. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also recently approved a 50% hike in telecom service charges, making communication even more expensive in an era where digital connectivity is essential for daily survival. Meanwhile, soaring fuel prices and deteriorating road conditions have doubled transportation costs across the country, making commuting increasingly unbearable for ordinary citizens.?

HURIWA said the plan to toll more roads is not about improving infrastructure but about enriching government cronies who are awarded concessions to manage the roads and collect revenue. This tolling policy is nothing but another means of enriching political allies and contractors at the expense of Nigerians who are already battling high costs of living, the group stated.

HURIWA questioned the rationale behind imposing road tolls when most Nigerians rely on public transportation to move from one place to another in search of their daily bread. ?This government is deliberately making it harder for people to survive. The poor are the ones who depend on road transport the most. Business owners, market traders, farmers, and artisans who must travel daily to earn a living will now be taxed for simply moving from one place to another,? HURIWA lamented.

The group accused the government of failing to provide alternative means of transportation before implementing policies that will worsen the suffering of the people. There is no functional railway system in Nigeria to reduce dependence on road travel. Air travel is beyond the reach of most citizens, and now, the government wants to make road transport unaffordable through tolls. This is not governance; this is pure wickedness, the rights group asserted.

HURIWA called on the Federal Government to immediately suspend the tolling policy and focus on reducing the heavy transportation burden on the masses. It advised the government to explore alternative ways of funding road maintenance, such as blocking revenue leakages, as billions of naira are lost yearly due to corruption and mismanagement in the Ministry of Works.

?Instead of taxing citizens, the government should recover stolen funds. A portion of the Sovereign Wealth Fund and excess crude earnings can be dedicated to maintaining federal roads. Motorists already pay various forms of road taxes, such as vehicle registration fees, roadworthiness charges, and levies. These funds should be used for road repairs rather than being misappropriated. Instead of tolling roads, the government should partner with reputable infrastructure companies to build and maintain roads under transparent agreements that do not exploit the people,? HURIWA advised.

HURIWA urged all civil society organizations, labour unions, and transport associations to resist the tolling policy, warning that it could set a dangerous precedent for further economic exploitation. ?This is the time for Nigerians to wake up and demand accountability. If we allow this road tolling policy to stand, tomorrow it will be increased, and soon every aspect of our daily lives will be taxed to the point of suffocation,? the group warned.

The organization also urged the National Assembly to intervene and stop the implementation of road tolls, insisting that it is an unjust policy that will push more Nigerians into poverty. ?We cannot continue to allow government officials to impose anti-people policies without consequences. If they refuse to listen, Nigerians should be prepared to take legal and civic actions to resist this exploitation,? HURIWA concluded.

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