A groundswell of opposition is rising against the federal government’s proposed toll gate on the Eleme axis of the East-West Road, with concerned citizens describing it as an unjust financial burden on the already impoverished people of the Niger Delta.
In a strongly worded statement, local advocate Samuel O. Onungwe criticized the move as a betrayal of long-standing agreements and a continuation of systemic neglect of the Eleme community. He recalled that during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, a deal was struck with the Nigeria Labour Congress to dismantle all toll gates nationwide in exchange for an increase in fuel prices—a promise that was honoured at the time.
“Historically, tolled roads in Nigeria have not delivered value,” Onungwe stated. “The funds raised from tolls were often mismanaged, unaccounted for, and did not translate into infrastructure development.”
The people of Eleme, he argued, are already reeling from decades of economic and environmental exploitation. Since oil was discovered in the area in 1957, the community has lost large tracts of farmland to exploration and industrialisation, with little to no compensation or development in return. Despite being home to major industries and contributing significantly to Nigeria’s GDP, Eleme remains underdeveloped—with no rail transport, unstable electricity, poor healthcare, and inadequate schools.
“Eleme has sacrificed so much for this country,” he said. “Our land, our health, and even our lives. Yet, we have nothing to show for it.”
He also condemned the continued marginalization of the community in federal appointments and infrastructure investment, noting that Eleme, as one of the 774 local government areas in Nigeria, deserves at least a fraction of national resources under the federal character principle.
Highlighting the delayed East-West Road project, Onungwe said the prolonged construction has led to numerous deaths and economic hardship. “Only when oil production goals—like the 300,000 barrels per day projected from Ogoniland and Elemeland—became a priority did the government begin to take interest,” he noted.
The proposal to introduce tolling now, Onungwe argued, adds insult to injury. “Why should we pay tolls to access a road built with revenues from our land? Who will manage these funds? Where is the transparency? Is the road insured—and if so, for whose benefit?”
He also raised concerns about daily harassment by police and road safety officials on the same route, questioning the morality of demanding tolls from citizens already being extorted and impoverished.
Reacting to a recent statement by the Minister of Works, H.E. Engr. David Umahi, in support of the toll gates, Onungwe declared the move unacceptable and warned that continued disregard for the people’s grievances could lead to mass resistance.
“The DSS should know that the real aggressor here is the government. If this injustice continues, we may all be compelled to resist. And if that happens, the state should be ready to arrest all of us,” he said.
Calling for a total scrapping of the toll gate plan, he concluded: “Enough is enough. The government must begin to act in the interest of the people of Eleme and Nigeria as a whole.”
