LAGOS OCTOBER 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Reacting to the recent pronouncement by Minister of Works, Mr Babatunde Fashola on the re-introduction of toll gates on Federal roads, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP Chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke has recommended that if toll gates must be re- introduced on Federal roads, the responsibility of collecting tolls and maintenance of the road should be delegated to the state governments.
Onuesoke made the recommendation on Friday while addressing newsmen on the sideline during the Third Annual Conference of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) held at Lagos Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos.
He suggested that the Federal government should hand over all the roads to the respective states to build and maintain, dismantle FERMA, reduce Ministry of works to policy and national infrastructure, increase allocation to States and focus on more pressing national issues.
He advised that states should take over the reconstruction of the poorly maintained federal roads in the country and impose tolls thereafter, adopting the Public Private Partnership model as presently experience in the Lekki-Epe express road, Lekki-Ikoyi link bridge and the link road between Lagos domestic and International airport in Lagos state.
Onuesoke explained that the recommendation become necessary because, beside the residents of the states who bear the brunt of the dilapidated roads, in often times it is the state governments that are the ones currently maintaining almost ninety percent of both states and federal bad roads across the country.
“According him, “Recently, Delta State government spent whooping sum of money for repair of the dilapidated portions of Warri-Sapele-Benin expressway, a Federal road which the Federal government was reported to have allegedly refused to make any refund.
“ In such a case, it will not be wise for the Federal Government to collect toll on the road at the expense of the state government. The state government ought to collect the tolls to support the frequent maintenance of the roads and as well create employment for the unemployed.”
Onuesoke maintained that all over the world there are modern technologically operated toll . gates which act as major tools of crime control, adding that if it introduced .it will reduce highway robbery and kidnapping with the installation of high wire technology like metal and chemical detectors.