Nkechinyere Ewa-Okpara
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Ebonyi State, in collaboration with the state OGR board, have arrested five suspected illegal revenue collectors in the International market in the state.
The arrest was made during a raid at the market on Tuesday
The suspects were arrested in different locations of the market collecting the illegal tax from petty traders.
Items recovered from them include, some booklets of receipts and cash already collected from poor women and children selling satch water, vegetables and other petty items.
Some of the women said they collect between N100 and N200 daily or they will carry their goods pending when they pay.
And they pay to different groups.
The Leader of the Revenue Board team, Emmanuel Elech,i who is alsoin chargee of ICTonn the boar,d said that the arrest of the suspects was based on incessant violation ofGovernorr Francis Nwifuru’s directive of exempting petty traders and vegetable sellers from revenue payment.
“We are determined to flush out illegal revenue collectors who bet on tarnishing the image of the board. We must adhere strictly to the directive of the Governor to allow petty traders and vegetable sellers to do their business without paying tax. Our governo,r in his wisdo,m knows what the poor aregoingg through andhas decided to reduce the hardshi,p but some people are sabotaging the gesture in a bid to enrich themselves. We cannot tolerate tha; wee shall continue to arrest them and prosecute them to serve asa deterrent to others”.
The board alsoflagged offf the automation of e-ticketing for commercial motorcycles and Tricycle operators to checkmate crime and close revenue leakages in the state.
The exercise wasflagged offf by the Chairman of the State Revenue Board, Christopher Omo-Isu.
He said that the profiling of commercial motorcycles and Tricycles in the state will reduce crime and stop double taxation.
He said with the profiling and automation of revenue generation, any operator that uses the vehicles to commita crime would be traced, arrested and prosecuted.
Omo-Isu said that the innovation will reduce touting in the markets, streets and major roads of the state as the operators would be expected to go to registration points to register within two weeks after which enforcement will commence.
He urged the people of the state to key into the new system that would bring sanity and safety to the revenue drive and reduce the fight between the touts and the cyclists/operators.