By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) yesterday opposed the Federal Government’s plans to toll selected federal roads in the country as a revenue-generating measure.
The TUC also opposed any attempt to increase telecom tariffs, saying it would compound Nigerians’ present economic hardships.
TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo, while presiding over the 1st Quarter 2025 National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Union in Abuja, condemned the reintroduction of toll gates on some federal highways without first ensuring that the roads are in good condition.
Osifo, who blamed the hardship in the country on government policies like the flotation of the naira, wondered why the federal government should initiate policies that bother citizens without due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
He said it is annoying that most of the unpaved, dilapidated, and pothole-ridden roads should be open for collecting tolls.
A communique issued at the end of the meeting partly read, “NAC deliberated on the proposed introduction of toll gates on selected federal roads and strongly condemned it in its entirety. While we acknowledge that tolling is a globally recognized method of generating revenue for road maintenance, imposing tolls on unpaved, dilapidated roads riddled with potholes is unacceptable.
“The NAC views this as an insult to Nigerians, who are being asked to pay tolls on roads in total disrepair. Our highways are death traps, unsafe, abandoned, and filled with potholes. Rather than fulfilling its responsibility to fix and maintain these roads, the government is resorting to shameless extortion.
“The Congress, therefore, demands that all roads earmarked for tolling must first be fixed, properly tarred, and repaired to international standards before any discussion on tolling can be entertained.”
Although the Federal Government recently debunked plans to increase electricity tariff by 65 percent, TUC said it was alarming that the government even considered the hike in the first instance.
*Accuses govt of implementing policies without engaging stakeholders
Osifo lamented that the previous increment had already inflicted severe hardship on citizens.
He said, “This proposed increase is not only ill-timed but also a deliberate act of economic oppression against Nigerians, who are already struggling under unbearable economic conditions.
“The improved service quality promised during the last tariff hike, particularly for consumers under the so-called ‘Band A’ category, has not been realised. Regardless of their tariff band, most consumers continue to live in perpetual darkness.”
TUC observed that the root cause of escalating prices and galloping inflation was the devaluation of the naira.
Osifo recalled that in February 2024, the TUC addressed a world press conference, where it clearly stated that the excessive devaluation of the naira was the primary cause of rising inflation and the continuous increase in the prices of goods and services.
He said Congress also warned that this trend would worsen inflation in 2024, impacting virtually every sector of the economy and severely affecting the social and economic well-being of Nigerian workers and the masses if the solutions it canvassed were not adopted.
The TUC President said that 12 months later, the Congress’s position remained unchanged, alleging that the symptoms of the root cause had manifested clearly.
According to him, “These include the skyrocketing prices of essential goods, the escalating costs of social services, the proposed hike in telecom tariffs, the increase in electricity tariffs (with plans for further increments), the rising prices of petroleum products amongst others.
“The TUC remains focused on addressing the root cause of these economic challenges rather than merely reacting to the manifested symptoms. To this end, the TUC demands a better foreign exchange (FX) management regime from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as the naira is currently undervalued, as confirmed by both local and international experts.”
*Threatens mass protest
He warned that the TUC might be compelled to mobilise for mass protest if the policies were not reviewed to favour the citizens.
“The NAC, on behalf of the Congress, strongly advises the government to refrain from introducing policies that would further exacerbate the economic hardship faced by hardworking Nigerians.
“If the administration insists on implementing these policies, the TUC will have no choice but to mobilise the working class, civil society, and the oppressed masses for a nationwide action. This level of exploitation is unacceptable. A stitch in time saves nine,” he warned.
