The Edo state government has been urged to device better and more creative ways of boosting its revenue without inflicting pains and hardships on the people.
This is the position of thousand of protesting youths under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Edo state who grounded traffic on major streets in the state capital, Benin City yesterday carrying placards with such inscriptions as, ‘Enough is enough”, “Stop inhuman taxation”, “Taxes are burying us”, to condemn the multiple taxes introduced by both government agencies and tax consultants recently.
Spokesman of the protesters Comrade Osagie-Eweka Davies condemned what he called the multiple taxes by the state traffic management authority, STMA, War against Indiscipline, WAI and the state Ministry of transport.
Others are the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Drivers’ Welfare Scheme, Road transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN and Akugbe ventures.
He said the taxes in is in order but the method is outrageous. “For instance, the agents of STMA are in the habit of demanding and extorting outrageous sums of money ranging from N5, 000 to N25, 000 after ambushing unsuspecting motorists over unfounded traffic offences”.
He said for RTEAN and the drivers’ welfare scheme, their agents collect at least N1, 200 daily from drivers under such labels as ‘chop money, priority charge, traffic charge, parking space often without receipts.
“For commercial vehicle operators plying intra-city routes, collections ranging from N3, 000 to N7, 000 are extorted from each vehicle on a daily basis against the official ticket price of N200”.
According to Mr. Davies this ugly situation has a ripple effect on commuters and consumers who daily patronize commercial vehicles as they are faced with incessant and indiscriminate fare hikes.
He asked “How long can the people continue to bear these hardships and pains? How long can the people bear the burden? What will the Comrade say to the oppressed and powerless Edo people who expected succour bur are now confronted with suffering?”
He argued that “for a people who wholeheartedly cast their votes for the Comrade governor pelting them with the inordinate greed of individuals who do not share the sentiments of the Governor is not the best way to pay them back”.