By Tunde Bello
SOUTHWEST Zonal chairman of Nigeria Association of Road Transport Owners, NARTO, Alhaji Bola Ogunyele, has called on the Inspector General of Police, IG, to stop the extortion of drivers by his men on major highways in the country.
Fielding questions from reporters recently, the newly elected chairman described the extortion as bad for the image of the country wondering why the police have deviated from the constitutional role of protecting lives and property. He also accused the federal government of putting pressures on commercial heavy vehicle owners by paying double taxation to the government.
Ogunyele advised the federal government to quickly fix major expressways in the SouthWest States, adding that most of these roads are in bad state and have become death traps to road users, besides act of kidnapping, area boys and robbery usually confronting the drivers.
He mentioned the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta expressway, Ibadan- Ogbomosho road, Ife-Ondo road and several others that have impaired movement of vehicles across the region.
Why decrying the state of the roads in South West, he appealed to government to dualise some of the roads and redesign Lagos – Abeokuta expressway, especially the toll gate spot, which have become a death traps for motorists and commuters. He urged the government to accelerate the construction of parking space for their vehicles in the South- Western States for smooth operation of their activities, particularly the Apapa port. He controls Ogun, Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti and Oyo states.