It was another bad day for Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo yesterday, as traders and tricycle operators blocked the entire state, including the Government House, protesting obnoxious tax being imposed on them.
Though the traders carried out their protest peacefully close to the popular Eke-Awka Market, but tricycle operators blocked the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, making things difficult for commuters.
The protests began around 3 pm and were on till 5:30 p.m., causing heavy gridlock everywhere in the capital city.
The traders lamented the new taxi regime of the governor of the state Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, saying he has come to kill them and not to save them.
It was also gathered that shop owners in the market are being taxed N14, 200 each per month, while the hawkers are randomly forced to pay N200 each day.
Before now, Prof. Soludo had, during a meeting with parks and market leaders in Awka, hinted about introducing a new tax regime in the state.
He said the new tax regime had become imperative as the era of revenue generation through the sale of crude oil was gradually phasing out.
However, former Chairman of Eke Awka Market Emeka Onyemaechi, said on July 1 that the state government had banned all cash payments of government money, but people entered the market demanding payments without information from the government.
“On Thursday last week, I was inside my shop when some people started ringing bells, announcing that everybody should come out and pay for his fees from Tuesday.
“I asked them how much and they said N14, 200 per shop. On Friday I went to Anambra State board of internal revenue to find the true position,” he said.
Therefore, he called on the state government to quickly address the issues of hiring private persons to collect revenue for the state government.
The government should have passed circulars to the market leaders about the development if actually, the payment originates from the government.
He, however, said despite all, some people were still extorting money from poor hawkers in the market.
He said that all the women who bring fresh vegetables, okra, groundnut and others were being taxed N200 at each point in the market, adding that whoever that argued with them would be beaten to a stupor.
Another trader in the market, Mr Kene Obunna said that it was sad that the government was just forcing people to pay revenue using those who do not shop in the market.
According to him, the chairman of the market is living in a hotel without a single shop in Eke Awka and he does not know the problems traders face in the market.
He said he was using young men to intimidate people to pay or risk being beaten.
A source in the Anambra State Board of Internal Revenue, who never wanted his name in print confirmed that the state government had approved N14, 200 payment in Eke Awka Market.
When contacted, the state Commissioner for Commence, Dr Obinna Ngonadi said he was not going to comment on the matter on phone.
But the Press secretary to Soludo, Mr Christian Aburime, said that government would at the appropriate time respond to the issues raised.
He, however, did not confirm whether the state governor had approved the collection or not but pleaded for time to verify.
“Just give us time, we shall reach out to you on the development in Eke Awka,” he said.
When The Nation called the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Paul Nwosu, the phone rang out without any answer.