If We’re Going To Have Tollgates, There Must Be Alternative Roads — Prof. Utomi

*However, He Kicks Against Exemption Of Govt Entities From Paying Toll
*Says Govt Entities Should Buy E-tags And Use Them To Ply Toll Roads
*Says Toll Roads Should Exist Side By Side With Alternative Non Toll Roads
*Says Govt Should Set Up Monitoring Committee To Ensure That Toll Monies Are Used For Maintaining The Toll Roads

A professor of political economy and management expert, Pat Utomi, has reacted to the recent approval of tollgates for some federal roads.

Utomi, in an interview with the PUNCH Newspaper, said the tollgates should not have been removed in the first place. While backing the tollgates payment policy, he advised that tolls money should not go into the treasury and there should be a monitoring committee who will ensure that the monies are used for maintaining the roads.

He said, “Nigeria is not a place where we often have rational conversations. I speak about this and people are always complaining. The idea to scrap the toll gates in the first place was a very unwise one. I said so at the time and I wrote opinion pieces about it. Not only were they scrapped, but the government also spent tens of millions of dollars knocking them down. Now, they’ll spend hundreds of millions getting them back up. I’m not sure what point was proved when the tolls were stopped and then the structures bulldozed so they can’t start again.

“Now, 23 years later, we realise that we can’t maintain the highways, saying we have to bring back toll roads again, shamelessly. It is not right; it is unreasonable use of scarce resources in a country where people are so poor, even if the elite live recklessly on public resources. In principle, I have no problem with tolls; they should never have been removed. Secondly, tolls money should not go into the treasury; it should be a specific-use tax for maintaining the highways. And there should be a monitoring committee of users of the highway; for example, members of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and the association of drivers that ply that highway, among others. Their business is to make sure that every kobo paid on that highway is used to make sure the highway is maintained.”

However, the professor expressed dissatisfaction with the exemption of government entities from paying tollgates. According to him, government institutions should buy e-tags and use them to ply the highways.

“In Nigeria, there is a culture of some people being above the law. In many ways, it is an assault on the rule of law, but they don’t realise it; they think it’s the privilege of power. And we must begin to change these things. Let the government departments budget for their toll payment. Let them buy e-tags so that they won’t be disturbed when blowing their sirens. But the tag immediately makes sure that the tolls are deducted from their payments; if they want special discounts or volume consumption, that is a commercial consideration. But creating this privileged thing is what creates a mess every time, everywhere. And people have an entitlement mentality, because they’re in government, they can do whatever they like. Let them have a budgeting department for their tolls; let them go and buy e-tags and use them to ply the highways.” he said

Utomi further advised that where there are toll roads, there should be alternative roads also so that those who don’t have money will suffer the slighter indignity of traffic delays on the freeway. According to him, that’s what is obtainable in the United States of America.

He said, “In the United States, highways have existed for long. I lived in a small town called Bloomington in Indiana, a few miles away from Indianapolis, the state capital. A fantastic beautiful road that I used to drive on then is still there. But it has been sold by the state government to a bank, not even an American bank, an Australian bank.

“This allowed the road to become even more motorable; the bank collects its tolls, makes a profit, and everyone is happy. Of course, there are a few moral laws that go to tolling roads. If you’re going to have a toll road, there must be an alternative. The thing is that those who want to go more quickly can pay their toll and go. Those who don’t have money will suffer the slighter indignity of traffic delays on the freeway. These are some of the basic principles that we can use to confront these issues if we act logically.”