A member of the House of Representatives, representing Aguata Federal Constituency of Anambra State, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji has opposed the Federal government policy to revive toll gates, across the country, especially in the South East.
House of Representatives Hon. Umeoji during a press briefing at the National Assembly Wednesday said the policy would worsen the plight of the people from the region, who were already under the yoke of bad roads.
He said: “The South East has the lowest Federal presence compared to other zones. The Federal roads in the zone have collapsed with a heavy toll on human life, goods and services.
The Southeast has the least allocation of funds for road maintenance and re-construction but ranks highest in terms of proposed road taxation.
“What is the moral justification for tolling on roads that are not motorable? He queried.
Various government projects are done in total isolation of the Southeast, the railway line project is structured to exclude the zone he opined.
He alleged that “the zone is completely cut off from land, sea and air. The Enugu Airport is closed down, the Onitsha inland waterways are not functional.
This infrastructural policy is to punish the South East and stifle development”. He said the toll gates, would be “theatres of psychological and mental torture on the people and constitute the arena for humiliation, intimidation and extortion”.