Institute suggests staggered toll for Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

The President of the Institute of Physical Assets and Infrastructure Management, Dr McCarthy Ijiebor, has advised that the Federal Government adopt a staggered toll system for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, to mitigate the likely economic impact on some low-income earning villagers.

Ijiebor, who disclosed that during a recent media chat, stated that siting tolls within major cities across the highway was a good idea, as the road users across that axis would not be entrapped in the tolls as they would have no challenge paying.

He advised. “There are some small villages within the highway that are inhabited majorly by peasants and low-income earners, like fishermen and farmers, who paying tolls will erode their low incomes.

“If you are crossing from one major city to another major city, it is okay. However, certain places should be completely avoided as the people within those areas might not be able to pay tolls as a result of their living conditions. We could implement staggered tolls to ease the burden on low-income road users.

“There is also the need to consider alternative routes to minimise displacement and fair compensation for affected communities. A balanced approach will ensure the project benefits the nation without undue burdens on citizens. We must also consider the project’s environmental impact and ensure it is designed with sustainability in mind.”

While acknowledging efforts being made at managing the country’s physical assets and infrastructure, the IPAIM president maintained that some loopholes existed.

He noted that the loopholes included inadequate maintenance, insufficient funding, and lack of standardised practices.

He noted, “For instance, many assets were not properly maintained, leading to premature deterioration. Additionally, funding for asset management is often inadequate, and there’s a lack of standardised practices across different sectors.

“As an institution, we aim to address these gaps through training, research, and advocacy for best practices in asset management, such as adopting ISO 55001 standards.”

On the issue of abandoned projects and white elephant projects in the country, he mentioned that it could be curbed through project planning, regular monitoring, and accountability measures.

He proposed community involvement in project planning to ensure local needs being met, public-private partnership (to leverage resources and expertise), and transparent project reporting to track progress.

“Additionally, we recommend regular project audits and penalties for non-completion to ensure accountability. By taking these steps, we can minimise the occurrence of abandoned projects and ensure public funds are utilized effectively,” he concluded.

Recall that the House of Representatives had urged the Federal Government to renovate and convert its abandoned buildings and forfeited lands locally and abroad for public use.

The resolution of the House was a sequel to the adoption of a motion titled “Call to convert abandoned and seized properties including buildings and lands for public use”, moved by the member representing Oredo Federal Constituency of Edo State, Iyawe Esosa, on the floor of the House at Wednesday’s plenary.

Esosa argued that some agencies of government were operating from rented office apartments whereas the Federal Government has a lot of abandoned properties spread across the country.

He argued that asset recovery remained a powerful but underutilised tool against domestic and international corruption, noting that the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act provides a robust legal framework for managing and recovering such proceeds.