The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has registered its disapproval of the plans by the Federal Government to toll selected federal roads in the country as a means of revenue generation.
President of TUC, Festus Osifo condemned the policy on Thursday, 6 February, 2025 while presiding over the 1st Quarter 2025 National Administrative Council, NAC, of the union in Abuja.
Osifo wondered why the Federal Government initiates policies that concern the citizens without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
He said it is annoying that most of the roads which are unpaved, dilapidated and riddled with potholes should be open for collecting tolls.
“The NAC deliberated on the proposed introduction of toll gates on selected federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirely.
“While we acknowledge that tolling is a globally recognized method of generating revenue for road maintenance, it is unacceptable to impose tolls on roads that are unpaved, dilapidated, and riddled with potholes.
“The NAC views this as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads that are in total disrepair. Our highways are death traps unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes.
“Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.
“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained.”
Although the Federal Government recently debunked plans to increase electricity tariff by 65 percent, TUC said it was alarming that the government even considered the hike in the first instance.
Osifo lamented that the previous increment already inflicted severe hardship on citizens.
“This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.
“The improved service quality promised during the last tariff hike, particularly for consumers under the so-called “Band A” category, has not been realized. Most consumers, regardless of their tariff band, continue to live in perpetual darkness,” he said.
TUC observed that the root cause of escalating prices and galloping inflation was the devaluation of the Naira.
Going down memory lane, Osifo said in February 2024, the TUC addressed a world press conference where it clearly stated that the excessive devaluation of the Naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services.
He said the Congress also warned that the trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.
“Twelve months later, our position remains unchanged, as the symptoms of this root cause have manifested clearly.
“These include the skyrocketing prices of essential goods, the escalating costs of social services, the proposed hike in telecom tariffs, the increase in electricity tariffs (with plans for further increments), the rising prices of petroleum products amongst others.
“The TUC remains focused on addressing the root cause of these economic challenges rather than merely reacting to the manifested symptoms.
“To this end, the TUC demands a better foreign exchange (FX) management regime from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the naira is currently undervalued, as confirmed by both local and international experts.”
He warned that these policies if not reviewed to favour the citizens may compel the TUC to mobilise for mass protest.
“The NAC, on behalf of the Congress, strongly advises the government to refrain from introducing policies that would further exacerbate the current economic hardship faced by hardworking Nigerians.
“If the administration insists on implementing these policies, the TUC will have no choice but to mobilize the working class, civil society, and the oppressed masses for a nationwide action. This level of exploitation is unacceptable. A stitch in time saves nine.”
