THAT a peaceful protest by concerned residents against the collection of tolls along the Lekki-Eti-Osa Expressway turned violent is disheartening. It was avoidable if all parties to the matter in contention had shown a bit more maturity as well as respect for one another's legitimate rights under the law. The residents' objection has been on for some time; they even went to court, all in an effort to prevent the collection of tolls.On the one hand, one can hardly fault the idea of a tollgate to collect revenue in a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement. The road needs to be maintained, the investor needs to recoup his investment, and beyond that, earn a decent profit. The Lekki-Eti-Osa Expressway is quite a good and modern piece of construction. The concept of building and collecting fees for its use is new in these parts. Hitherto, it had been largely the responsibility of governments to build roads,necessarily, as part of infrastructure development. It is supposed to be part of the contract with the people in exchange for being voted into power. But, in an age when governments are failing disastrously in their basic ' and constitutional ' duties and responsibilities to the governed, they have chosen to delegate ' nay, abdicate ' these duties and responsibilities to big business, private corporations that are driven by nothing more or less than the profit motive. And some corporations can be unforgiving in the pursuit of profit. This is the backdrop to the protest against collection of tolls at the Lekki highway.It bears repeating that PPP arrangement can be useful in principle; but three tollgates on a stretch of less than 50 kilometres of intra-city road in a densely built-up area is excessive. Even the 100-kilometre Lagos-Ibadan inter-city expressway had only two tollgates. And the charges (how were they arrived at, by the way') are a bit high in the context of the current economic environment. Consider that a couple with two cars working at different locations and who must drive through two tollgates will have to pay, say N600 each day just to use the road. A resident who participated in the protest is quoted to calculate that it would cost him between N200,000 and N300,000 per annum. And, unless there is a change of heart by the owners of the highway, the captive residents (tenants or landlords) of the area are condemned to pay these tolls for the next 30 years. Surely, it cannot be the intention of a government for the people to inflict unbearable financial burden on them, nor the operating company to sap its customers to financial death.Besides, to grant a 30-year concession to the investor before the control reverts to government is too long a time. With the volume of traffic on that road, we believe that the money invested plus profit can be generated in far less time. Business is fully entitled to profit but certainly not to profiteer.A simple and duly approved expression of dissatisfaction by responsible citizens was allowed to turn ugly, such that limbs were broken, and life may have been even lost, according to some reports. We condemn the highhanded manner that the police managed the situation. It did not reflect professionalism at all. For example, how did hired thugs manage to get so close to the scene of protest as to engage the protesters in a fight' Governor Babatunde Fashola may have shown a measure of responsiveness to the demonstration, but things could have been better handled. What reason informed deploying the somewhat hardened Rapid Response Squad armed with assault weapons to police the scene'The point made by the Managing Director of Lekki Concession Company, Mr. Opuiyon Oforiokuoma that alternative roads have been created for those who do not desire to use the expressway is noted. But some dispute the motorable state of the road. However, those who can should divert to these routes. All said, the Lagos State government must listen to the complaints of the people and not talk down at them as if it has a monopoly of wisdom in the management of public affairs. If Nigerians are aggrieved, it behoves on their leaders to listen to them and seek a meeting point. That is an essential feature of a popularly elected government.
Click here to read full news..
