The Federal Ministry of Transportation has said that revenue collection by state and local government agents along federal highways is illegal and called on the law enforcement agents to halt the practice.
The position of the ministry on collection of revenues on federal highways, through erection of road blocks by the sub-national governments agents, was expressed by the Head of Press Unit, Mr Mohammad Idris, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Aba on Monday.
Specifically, he gave the position while reacting to road blocks mounted by staff of the State’s Passenger Integrated Manifest Scheme (ASPIMS) for revenue collection in Abia State.
Idris decried the activities of the state officials which, he noted, was hindering smooth flow of traffic on the affected roads and disturbing travellers from other states passing through the state.
He said: “The Police and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) should not allow these agents to block the highways. This is because their operations on the highways are illegal and obstruct the movement of travelers across the country.
“The former Inspector General of Police told them that the action was wrong, illegal and so he banned it but unfortunately some states still do that. But it is wrong.
“They have been told not to operate on the highways. Nobody has the right to block the highway except in emergency situations by security agencies”, Idris added.
It would be recalled that the Joint Tax Board (JTB) has been condemning the illegal road blocks being mounted along major highways by officials of state and local governments over the years, describing such approach in revenue collection as unlawful.
