The House of Representatives has expressed worry that the toll operations on the Abuja- Akwanga -Lafia road have become a major source of hardship and frustration for Nigerians.
It added that the current operational modalities of toll have resulted in severe traffic congestion, turning relatively short journeys into agonising ordeals.
The lawmakers said a trio from Lafia to Abuja, which previously took approximately two hours and 30 minutes, now stretched to an unbearable five hours or more, having significant negative impacts on commuters, businesses, and the overall economy.
This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP, Nasarawa) and three others at plenary on Thursday.
Moving the motion, Gbefwi said the House eulogised the initiative of the toll operations by the federal government on the Abuja–Akwanga–Lafia–Makurdi Road corridor to repay the $460.8 million loan obtained from the China Exim Bank for the road’s rehabilitation and upgrade which was officially launched on February 4, 2025.
He said those toll gates were intended to generate revenue for road maintenance, just as we have in other areas like the Airports and Lekki toll gates and payments options usually includes, electronics methods and cash options, in some cases payments can be made in advance and an sticker placed on your car for electronic payments which make movement seamless for the commuters.
“This dramatic increase in travel time has significant negative impacts on commuters, businesses, and the overall economy. It causes delays in the delivery of goods and services, increases fuel consumption, and leads to lost of productivity.
More importantly, it inflicts immense stress and hardship on individuals, families and businesses.
“This led to a pregnant woman delivering a child on the road due to the none movement of traffic.Also Aware that: A good portion of the road has not been completed and these areas of construction are constituting a death trap as a lot of my constituents have lost their lives crossing the road which is not organized due to the construction work.
“The situation is rapidly deteriorating and, if left unchecked, has the potential to escalate into a chaotic and anarchic situation. We cannot afford to ignore this pressing issue. This is about the only road that tolls are being collected in the country which is against the principle of federal character, all collections should start at the same time,” Gbefwi added.
Adopting the motion, the House called on the federal government to improve the operations framework of the Garaku and Abashon toll gates immediately and mandated its relevant committees to investigate the contract governing the toll gates, the operations of these toll gates.
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