Aba traders petition Ikpeazu over activities of revenue agents

By OKEY SAMPSON, Umuahia

Traders at the Ngwa Road Market, Aba, Abia State popularly known as New Market (Ahia Ohuru) have sent a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu over the activities of some thugs, masquerading as revenue agents.

In the message, one of the traders in the market who spoke on behalf of others and gave his name as Linus Obi Chukwukere alleged that some people who claimed to be revenue agents, invaded the market with thugs and demanded that each trader pay N6, 000 levy.

Chukwukere said the traders were taken aback by the action of the said revenue agents, moreover when the state announced it was going to pull down shops in the market to erect modern ones.

Doubting the genuineness of the revenue agents whom the traders claimed forcefully collected money from them without issuing receipts, they wondered why government that had issued notice of demolition of shops in the market, would turn around and ask them to pay any levy.

“We don’t think the government will turn around and ask us to pay a new levy of N6, 000, different from the N18, 000 we were earlier asked to pay after giving us a notice that the shops would be demolished.

The traders alleged that the modus operandi of the revenue agents was not in tandem with the stand of the state government concerning revenue collection.

“Government said all revenue payments must be made to designated accounts in banks, but the so called agents demanded we pay them cash without issuing us any receipt and anybody who refused to pay was molested,” he said.

The traders said the governor should intervene to save them from further harassment and molestation by the so called revenue agents. (Saturday SUN)