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Despite the ban on Illegal revenue collection in Anambra State by Governor Charles Soludo,louts are still operating with ease.
Soludo had proscribed illegal revenue collection beginning from March 18, a day after he was sworn in as governor.
Daily Trust investigations revealed that in Awka, Onitsha and Nnewi, louts are still collecting money from traders, tricycle operators, motorists in public parks and customers who came for business transactions in the state .
A widow, Mrs Janet Okonkwo ,who came from Agulu to sell mangoes in Awka, said she was forced by thugs to pay N200 on arrival and also paid other fees as she pushed her wares around in a wheelbarrow.
Speaking with Daily Trust, she lamented that louts collect N600 from her every day in the market.
“It terrible that some of us who are widows come to market to sell items are forced to pay this much. I sell mangoes to feed my children,” she said.
A tricycle rider in Awka, Mr Ejike Ndu, stated that louts still operate in parts of Awka in disregard of the ban order by the new governor.
“‘Touts’ are still collecting money from us since Gov. Soludo asked them to stop illegal revenue collection. They will threaten you with a fight when you told them that the state government has ordered them to stop illegal revenue collection and when you consider obvious implications of fighting with them, you will pay,” he said.
According to Ndu, the thugs “always tells us that the governor should find out politicians given various revenue windows and tell them to withdraw these thugs.”
“Otherwise the touts will continue to flout the directive,” he added.
Mr Okey Adikibe, a trader at Main market Onitsha, said louts still harass customers who come to the area to buy goods.
“They force customers to part with all forms of money in the name of levy such as ‘Ndi Agbaeze (indigenes’ levy), among others,” he said.
Adikibe said the act had discouraged customers coming from different parts of the country.
Mr Eugene Chukwu, a bus driver who shuttles Awka and Nnewi said louts are still present in parks in the town.
“We are still paying money at parks in Nnewi and we hope to see the government enforce the new directive,” he said.
Chukwu said transporters would be happy to to see government end the era of illegal revenue collection, adding “we are being ripped off through the method.”
He said, “if the government sanitized revenue collection, it will even make drivers to charge less and reduce the incidence of attacks between them and ‘touts.’”
Soludo had in a meeting with leaders of various markets and motor parks last Friday said his administration would soon come up with decent method of revenue collection.
