Disturbed at the level of decay on the nation’s highways, Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Onyekachi Peter Nwebonyi has called on the Federal government to as a matter of urgency restore the establishment of toll- gates on the nation’s highways.
Making this Clarion call while fielding questions from the Daily Champion in his office yesterday, the lawmaker noted that the only way to save the nation’s highways from total decay was to rehabilitate and maintain the nation’s roads through the establishment of toll- gates on the nation’s highways.
“That is the only way we can effectively maintain those roads. It’s better we pay; the money we pay to the Police, let’s pay it to the toll gate and get our roads constantly fixed. Nigerians will have no problems with that. The toll gates have to be given to the private people to manage.
” People are afraid that they will shortchange the government but they will not because they are going to operate according to the provisions of the law.
“The prices will be fixed per vehicle and you won’t exceed it. There will be terms of contract which will be checkmated. That’s our duty as lawmakers through oversight, to make sure that the amount they are collecting is the amount due for such vehicle,” he stated.
Speaking further, the Ebongi born politician further noted,”You will agree with me that you have to pay to access Nigerian roads. The Police are there at checkpoints, with a pretence of stop and search. But there are there to make sure you pay before you use the road, and it is a very big national embarrassment.
And I must tell you, not minding the motion I moved on the level of insecurity in parts of the country,the Inspector General of Police (IGP) is yet to respond proportionately to that public outcry. Now, outside that, I have also come up with the need to connect the Southern Nigeria with the Northern Nigeria with the shortest road, and that is the road linking Ebonyi and Benue State. It is 75.6 kilometers.
I raised it because when this road is done, those coming to Abuja and the other parts of Northern Nigeria to the Southern Nigeria will use four to five hours to do that. So, I had to make sure that that road is inserted in the budget. As am talking to you, a whopping sum of one billion Naira has been earmarked to start that project.”
Continuing the Lawmaker said,”And I believe that Mr. President will still inject more fund into that project through tax credit and other ways and means of financing projects. So, that alone is a giant step I have taken to make sure that road infrastructure is provided, knowing its economic importance.
“Outside that, in my own budgetary provision as a Senator, I have also put some of the entire roads connecting my local government and other local government areas within the zone and among communities. I am doing all these under my constituency projects.
“I was able to do that within my budgetary capacity, which I believe that you can come and see by yourself what we intend to do in the course of funding the project, because in Ebonyi State, we do what we call concrete pavement road in view of the topography of our area, which is loamy soil that is not friendly with asphalt.
“So, concrete is the best. And that is a very beautiful innovation brought on board by the former Governor of Ebonyi State and current Minister of Works, His Excellency, Senator David Nweze Umahi. This is what am doing in that respect.”
On the adoption of concrete pavement by Ebonyi state government in road construction on federal roads federal, Senator Nwebonyi said,”Sure, as am talking to you, he has awarded so many roads. In fact, many are ongoing on concrete pavement.
“It is not true that it is more expensive; even if it is more expensive, it lasts more. What will it benefit you if you do an asphalt road that will fail within two to three years, and then you start afresh?
” So, it’s better you do it once and for all. People get scared that it costs higher but that’s not the truth because the materials needed are locally sourced. We have the chippings, we have the cement, we have everything; you don’t have to import anything to do the concrete pavement. We have the mesh. So, it is even relatively cheaper.”
