Following public outrage, the Senate on Thursday stepped down deliberation on the National Roads Fund Establishment Bill which would ultimately have added to the rising cost of living in the country. The senate, at its plenary on Thursday, stepped down further consideration of the report on the bill; it asked the Committee on Works to make further consultations on it.

The committee had specifically recommended multiple taxes, including a N5 levy on every litre of petrol and diesel imported or refined in the country. The Senate feared this would push up the cost of fuel and worsen the already bad situation for Nigerians.

The Senator Kabiru Gaya-led Committee also recommended the deduction of 0.5 per cent on fares paid by passengers travelling on inter-state roads to commercial mass transit operators as well as the return of toll gates on all federal roads, among others.

The action of the Senate earned it a commendation by the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the South-West Chairman of NUPENG, thanked the Senate for staying action on the bill.

Korodo said that the resolution had shown that the upper chamber of the National Assembly was listening to outcry of the masses as regard the proposed bill.

“It is a welcome development and we really appreciate their gesture.

“It has shown that the senate is listening to complaints of the masses”.