LP blasts as insensitive, plan to toll Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway on top of power tariff hike
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Plans by Abuja to toll the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway at N3,000 per toll gate has been criticised by the Labour Party (LP) as insensitive, considering the fact citizens are overburdened with tax while they get little relief from the government.
LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh said the administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) headed by President Bola Tinubu is not tired of “inflicting pains, suffering and misery on ordinary Nigerians. “
Ifoh was responding to the announcement by Works Minister David Umahi that users of the road are to pay N3,000 per toll gate per trip.
“This administration’s policies have over the last one year been targeted at making the poor poorer and the rich richer at the expense of hardworking, but poorly remunerated citizens,” Ifoh lamented in Abuja at the weekend.
“First, it was the poorly executed fuel subsidy removal policy without a buffer. While we are still trying to deal with the hardship imposed by all of this, the government increased electricity tariff!
“It is no longer news that this policy is largely responsible for the galloping inflation, rising poverty and the volatility of the naira against major foreign currencies.
“Obviously not satisfied with the suffering this has inflicted on Nigerians, the Minister of Works just announced a decision to toll the 700 km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
“Vehicles plying the road are expected to pay a whopping N3000 toll gate, per trip.
“All of these has not stopped the administration from reckless borrowing most of these borrowed funds end up being looted by officials with itchy fingers.
“The various financial scandals involving Ministers and other government officials attest to this fact.
“If we May ask, how much is the national minimum wage?
“We can’t continue to run our economy like an exploitative business enterprise.
“At the rate, this administration is going, Nigerians will soon start paying for the air we breathe.”
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