Block Enugu-Onitsha Expressway
Maduako Igbokwe l Wednesday, July 13, 2022
AWKA, Anambra – Economic activities were grounded in Awka the Anambra’ state capital on Wednesday as Commercial tricycle operators protested against high tax regime by Governor Charles Soludo.
The tricyclists who stormed government house blocked the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, particularly the popular Aroma Junction. This created heavy traffic along the expressway.
Members of the group with placards had complained bitterly against the high tax rate by the state government which they described as harsh and outrageous.
According to them: “They (officials) are asking us to pay N15,000 to the Keke union, and a daily payment of N500. Our daily ticket used to be N450, and we were even appealing to government to reduce it because it is high, but instead, they increased it to N500.”
“Most of us that you see here are graduates who are managing their lives, because there is no job. Other are driving their Keke on hire purchase basis, while most of us too are family men,”he said .
The operators said that, the country is hard, and the governor cannot create additional hardship for them. According to them , this kind of policy is inimical to them, urging the governor to lessen their hardship.
” We will not pay, let Soludo come to our aide.” he said . However, the State government in a reaction denied any involvement in the plan to subject tricycle riders to higher tax.
Spokesperson of Anambra State Internally generated revenue board, Mrs Toochukwu Ngige said that the protest may not be against Governor Soludo as he has further simplified the payment for the tricyclists.
“Instead of many illegal payment they make in a day, which has even amounted to over N1,000 daily, the governor has said they can only pay N600, and it won’t be an everyday payment, but they pay monthly”
“Every other money is embeded in it, all they do is to come out everyday and do their work and go home, not paying toll everyday.” she said
In his reaction, Mr Osita Obi, a right activist said that the payment that triggered the protest is being championed by Keke riders union, who are working to coarse their members to pay some money to them.
“I have mobilized keke riders to resist it. The government has said they are not asking for any N15,000 from Keke riders. It is one renowned cultist, known as Snoop, who is trying for force the Keke riders to pay to him,”he said.
