Unless Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State, comes to the rescue now, fear has allegedly gripped traders in the State as touts/illegal revenue collectors sacked by the governor, were said to have commenced circulating fliers in markets in Onitsha and its environs, warning to commence illegal levy collection from traders.
Reacting Sunday, to the fliers, concerned traders, through their chairman, Chief Gabriel Okeke, vowed that the traders would resist the payment, hinting that the fliers were being shared by sacked touts and illegal revenue collectors.
“They are sacked touts and illegal revenue collectors and they returned because the government is not serious with them. They are back to duty posts on the roads and now have extended it to the markets and parks to collect exorbitant levies of #40,000, #30, 000, #20,000 and #10,000, as the case may be because they weigh the size of the vehicle laden with wares.
“Last Wednesday, there would have been riot as they were sharing the fliers because the traders ordered them to get out of their markets. How can they storm the markets at this hardship to extort us. We can’t allow them.
“We told the President of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Chief Ikechukwu Ekwegbalu, of the return of the touts and illegal revenue collectors and fliers being circulated in the markets and his reaction was not palatable as he called for uniformed revenue collection.
“His job is to protect the traders but since he came on board, our condition has been worsened. If he knows what he is doing the crises in the markets would have been curtailed. If not for the Commerce and Industry Commissioner, Hon. Obinna Ngonadi, touts and illegal revenue collectors would have taken over the markets.
“As far as we are concern the ASMATA President is not representing us well but his private pockets. He said discussion should be held with a view to having uniformed revenue payment but we disagreed with him because the State Government has sacked touts and illegal revenue collectors in the State,” he posited.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved traders vowed to physically confront the suspected touts if by Tuesday (as Monday is sit-at-home) this week, they continue to circulate the fliers in the markets.
