Some members of the Drivers Association of Anambra have protested what they termed “multiple taxations, intimidation, and harassment” by officials of the state government.
The group, who carried placards with various inscriptions, marched around Nkpor Old Road, Central Park.
They also said they had petitioned the Anambra State government several times over their plights, but nothing tangible had come out of it.
Some of the drivers, Messrs Paul Odoh, Ifeanyi Okeke, and David Ikeh, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, expressed displeasure that minibus, shuttle bus, and Keke operators were forced to pay a high rate of various taxes and levies every day for using the old road and Nkpor central park.
They said this was against the provisions of the law, alleging that it had resulted in some of their fellow drivers being assaulted when they refused to comply with these multiple taxations.
One of the protesters, Paul Odoh, said, “We have petitioned the Anambra State government over the constant harassments and multiple taxations to which our members have been subjected on a daily basis.
“We are conducting this protest to bring our plight, in the hands of the louts posing as revenue agents in the affected parks, to the attention of the state government. There is a need for both the fake agents and managers of central park Nkpor to be called to order.
“Both the louts and park managers seized our car batteries, footmats, and other accessories and even beat us up with his boys when we paid only government-approved tickets. They even boasted that nobody would rescue them from his hand, that they must pay all those levies every day.
“We are also being subjected to multiple taxations as we are forced to make daily payments of N1,200, N1,800, and now N2,500 for infrastructure, motor sanitation toll, and another exit and entry toll.
“It is important to state that similar revenues are being collected from these drivers as Anambra state revenue every day.”
The drivers, therefore, asked the state government to put a stop to the incessant levies and taxes in the state. They also warned the touts to stop blocking the roads and their parks for illegal revenue purposes since their activities had no backing of the law.
They also protested the N2,500, N1,800 daily, and N1,200 infrastructure levies imposed on them by revenue agents from the state Internal Revenue Service.
They lamented that they have on several occasions approached the AIRS in Awka to establish their grievances, but this did not yield a positive result as they were addressed by one officer of the AIRS who promised to address the issue.
A protester, Ifeanyi Okeke, said, “But as soon as we come back from the AIRS Office, Awka, they started dealing decisively with the drivers, beating, seizing our car batteries, footmats, and plate numbers, claiming that the chairman of AIRS gave them authority to collect all levies with impunity in the old road Nkpor central park.”
Other drivers who spoke to journalists noted that the blocking of the road to collect the said levies or any revenue is illegal, being against the existing state government order.
They said they believe that the state governor Prof. Chukwuma Soludo will not allow these atrocities to continue.