Metamorphosis Of Tolls And Taxes On Nigerian Roads

 By Steve Obum Orajiaku

Anyone especially in Nigerian government who cries wolf that taxes are successfully evaded by the citizens cannot be more stingy (economical) with the truth. Nowhere else in the world do the people forcibly pay for tolls and taxes in different shades and styles than in Nigeria, particularly Southern Nigeria.

Sometimes it is quite resentful the manner this ad hoc tax collector in police, military, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Vigilante men, etc uniforms go about fulfilling their illegal duties. Many lives of unsuspecting victims in South East, Lagos State have been lost to the brutality and unconscionable treatment meted out to the road users who refuse to play ball.

If you are not used to Nigerian roads, this piece will sound very strange to you. But even airborne travellers will tell you that the airport miscreants covered in FAAN garb will charge almost for the air you breathe in the airport hall.

Therefore they will not tell a different story of the ridiculous charges they are forced to pay. The payment of taxes is the citizens’ civil obligation. The responsible government depends on the revenue it generates to cater for a number of national developmental projects and of course the welfare of the citizens. This way or the other, the taxpayer is committing to his or her well-being in advance only spearheaded by the thoughtful government of the land. It serves a good purpose, ultimately.

It is rather heartbreaking that this foregoing scenario is not just manipulated in Nigeria but perverted all the same. This writer travelled from Lagos to Anambra State, then to Abia State, then to Enugu State, then to Abuja, Gombe, Adamawa, and then to Jos, Plateau State and Markudi, Benue State and finally back to Lagos within the space of a fortnight.

If you still have a lively conscience, witnessing what happened all these routes, you cannot afford to be unperturbed. You must weep along with me. But the fascinating thing about this illegality is the lopsided aspect of the practice. All the regimented bodies I mentioned above mount their checkpoints along the South West – South East axis whereas in the Northern part, what I witnessed is the exchange of banters between the officer on duty and the driver.

Not one spot did I witness the driver stretching his hand to give N200 or N100 to either the military officers or the police. I could not see even one custom checkpoint. Now, who cares enough to calculate the revenues collected on these East-West roads, at least to know what enters into their pockets? It is not difficult task to fulfil anyway.

From Sagamu, Ogun State to Onitcha-Owerri road end, there are not less than 48 police checkpoints covering that distance. Oftentimes, they merge with the FRSC, or the military and at other times, they disintegrate. Some individuals who may have seared their consciences will frivolously defend this anomaly by saying that the revenue collectors cum security diehard officers are posted to curb the excess of insecurity on this affected routes.

Tell that to the Marines, I will retort. The rate of insecurity in Northern Nigeria is alarming especially compared to the Southern part. This is nothing other than orchestrated plans by the top security service men to subject a people to perpetual servitude and exploitation. Be that as it may, the day of great awakening will definitely come when the youths will rise against injustices and inequity.

Few times I have had to take the bull by the horn and dial a Commissioner of Police in any of the states in the South to report these aberrations. Almost all the time, the tone of the CP voice will betray their complicity. ‘It is almost impossible for the rank and file officer to conduct themselves in such manner without, not just the knowledge of the CP, but his passive or active approval.’ Those are the very words of the Gombe State Commissioner of Police when I probed deeper to know why none of his officers are seen misconducting or misbehaving themselves at their duty posts.

During my training as Supernumerary (SPY) Police Officer at the Police College Ikeja Lagos, we were sternly taught that it is inappropriate for an officer to be seen meddling with physical money while on uniform. Whoever that formulated that policy must cover his face in shame seeing what is happening in Nigeria today.

The military organization that I have high regard for before now for their knack for discipline and rectitude is today worse than the police. These security strategists who are presumed to pursue those who rob us of our hard-earned money, have today joined the criminals and they stand with their guns stud underneath their hand, and demand with stern faces for the money they did not give us to keep for them.

They do this with utter impunity. They do not have regard for civility. Neither honour. They show crass contempt for everything good conscience commands. They are not patriots. They hate Nigeria and abhor lovers of Nigeria. Who are they, anyway? Unfortunately, they are not those Bob Marley the music legend called the Buffalo Soldiers! No no no! They are our detractors, destroyers and demoralizers. They collect our money at gunpoint and pretend they care for us.

If you dare challenge them, you may not live to tell the story. This rubbish must stop. The police, military men, FRSC, VIOs, local vigilante men, and any other uniform people must be called to order and henceforth desist from exploiting road users, especially in the Southern Nigeria roads. This has the capacity to incur wrath of the youth and public outcry and a breakout of another ENDSARS crisis.

I strongly suggest to the service chiefs to call their subordinate officers on the field to remove this monkey hand from the group dining before it metamorphoses to human hand. Do you understand? A continued or unchecked aberration becomes custom with time.

You understand that? Let us not all sleep and allow the livestock to deliver while tethered. I’m convinced that there are still men of character like that Gombe State CP who have esteemed values and high-quality integrity to guard. If your monthly salary is insufficient to cater for your needs, you can consider another job offer.

Don’t come and spoil our police and military services. The neglect of our police officers by the government who pays them stipends for salary, and subject them to penury for their peanuts payments, is even worse than what has been highlighted here and condemned. Who wants to join the Nigeria Police Force if not out of frustration and desperation to get something doing. How long will the media escalate this topic… We hope that the police salvation is only delayed and not denied.

*Orajiaku is a commentator on public issues