Nigeria Lorry Drivers Association (NILODA) and foodstuffs dealers association of Nigeria (FFDAN) have withdrawn their services in Benue and Taraba states over imposition of multiple taxes on its members.
This they said yesterday amounted to N136, 000 per lorry on daily bases and ordered its members to stay off the roads of the two states.
Addressing reporters yesterday in Onitsha, Anambra state on this development, the acting national president of lorry drivers, Prince Hamza Danladi, said the situation had become unbearable to them.
He was flanked by the secretary of the union, Hon. N.C Okeke, Prince Christian Afiaunwu, Elder Udoka Ahukanna, the secretary of Foodstuffs dealers association.
They said their action was as a result of their fruitless efforts to make the two states authorities see reasons why they should intervenes.
They added that they were pained that despite several efforts through petitions and appeals to the Benue state Governor Chief Samuel Ortom to look into their plight did not yield anything hence their action.
However, the unions appealed to the authorities of the two states, Federal as well as well meaning Nigerians to look into their plight and intervene.
The unions stated that in these two states that their members were forced to pay all manners of taxes namely, Drivers personal income tax, transport, heavy duty, Waste bin taxes, Commission on chattered vehicles, operational permit, loading and offloading traders permit license, traders tax provider permit, goods assessment tax, Benue welfare fee, producer/ buyers license among others.
According to them, “One full lorry load of foods stuffs pays a total of N136, 000 and usually we are molested and forced to pay touts operating for these two states government under the guise of revenue drive”
“It is terrible, we want people who can help us to intervene for us, Because of this, we have ordered our members to withdraw services until the two state governments do something about this” they said.