Obiano suspends tax in markets over diversion of revenue

AWKA —THE Anambra State government has announced indefinite suspension of tax collection in all 63 markets in the state following alleged diversion of government revenue by some market leaders.

Chief Willie Obiano
Though revenue diversion was said to have been going on for the past 12 years, it was said to have got to a scandalous level last year during the period of campaigns for the November 2017 governorship election in the state, during which many market leaders had a field day, apparently due to lack of proper supervision.
Shortly after the recent reconstitution of the state executive council by Governor Willie Obiano, the new Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation, Dr. Christian Madubuko, apparently acting on a tip off, discovered that many leaders were collecting revenue in the markets and diverting same, thereby denying government one of its major sources of revenue.
Worried by the development, the Commissioner invited the men of the Department of State Service, DSS, who arrested the leader of Uga Market, Mr. Victor Ezeibekwe and brought him to the Ministry to defend himself.
Speaking in an interview with Vanguard , the Commissioner said the state government had to suspend revenue collection in all the markets indefinitely to enable it evolve proper ways of ensuring that government revenues were not diverted by those entrusted to assist in shoring up revenue in the state.
He said: “We are having challenges in some of our markets. Some people collected money from the traders, but refused to remit such monies into government offers. There was a standing instruction that once they collect money, such monies should be paid into the bank and then come to the ministry with the bank teller, which is the normal thing to do.
“But the reverse has been the case. This chairman of Oye Uga Market, for instance, adopted another strategy, whereby he uses fake receipts which he issues to people after payment. When I interrogated him, he tried to be smart.
“We had to invite the DSS and we expect him to tell them the truth. Time had gone when people collected government revenues and diverted same. I believe that after investigation, we will actually know what happened. We want to warn other people doing the same thing that it is no longer business as usual.”