By Polycarp Ifeanyi
Due to resurgence of touts activities and illegal revenue collectors in the Anambra roads and markets, the president general of Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association ( ASMATA), Chief Humphrey Anuna has disclosed that his lieutenants will defeat them.
Chief Anuna made the disclosure while fielding questions from newsmen in his office at Modebe Avenue Onitsha, Anambra State.
He noted that the issue of touts and illegal revenue have become a reoccurrence decimals in the state, stressing that eradication of touts should be done vigorously.
He further revealed that there is a lay down strategy to ensure that touts and illegal revenue collectors should be a forgotten issue in the state.
” We must win the war against touts and illegal revenue collectors. We will recover our roads and M
markets from them and that is my assurance to our esteemed customers coming outside Anambra State. Let them not panic so much. It won’t take long we unveil our strategy against these perpetrators.”
Onwa Ora-eri as he fondly called equally said that state government on their part are not relenting to arrest the issue of touts and illegal revenue collectors.
He commended the efforts of traders who he said have complied in paying government revenue, even as he frowned at traders who he said have not complied in paying their own.
” Some of traders are not helping issues. I don’t understand why some people should wait until government start enforcement before they could pay their revenue. Since you known that payment is yearly, why not calculate the money and pay to them and have peace of mind ?” he queried.
“Some time in the past, there was a lot of rumour going on that government revenue in Anambra State is so high. I have to visit other states with the permission of revenue boss. I visited Imo, Abia, Enugu and Lagos and found out that Anambra traders are paying nothing to compare what other states are paying.
When we were in the meeting, someone raised opinion that traders should increase their revenue payment because government is working. What we are paying is what government use to work for us”
He affirmed mutual relationship with traders across the state, saying that when you tell an Igbo man truth and allow him to see how the money he contributes is utilized, he will pay more.
” Traders have seen that government is utilizing what they paid for the good and development of the state. That is why they are happy with the state government”, Said Onwa Ora-eri.