Tricycle operators petition Anambra assembly over multiple taxations

Tricycle operators in Anambra State have petitioned the State House of Assembly, asking the lawmakers to save their members from multiple levies being imposed on them by the state government. The operators lament that multiple tax collectors continue to claim they were acting on behalf of the government, despite a directive from Governor Chukwuma Soludo […]

Tricycle operators in Anambra State have petitioned the State House of Assembly, asking the lawmakers to save their members from multiple levies being imposed on them by the state government.

The operators lament that multiple tax collectors continue to claim they were acting on behalf of the government, despite a directive from Governor Chukwuma Soludo that specified a fixed amount to be paid by the tricycle operators.

The petition was mentioned during a sitting of the Anambra State House Committee on Public Petitions at the conference hall of the legislative complex in Awka.

Mr Chidozie Okafor, chairman of the tricycle riders, said they had written to the Commissioner for Transport, but expressed disappointment that no action was taken to address their plight.

Therefore, they are asking the lawmakers to come to their aid.

Okafor explained that each tricycle rider is required to pay at least N2,400 to unauthorised individuals who pose as government agents. In addition, they still paid the official fee of N2,000 weekly, as approved by the governor.

The secretary of the Keke riders, Comrade Johnson Eze, claimed that even when they report the illegal collectors (commonly referred to as touts) to the government’s anti-tout agency, the suspects manage to return to the streets within a day, leaving the riders feeling helpless and vulnerable.

The operators thus appealed to the lawmakers to intervene and ensure their safety, urging them to address the issue promptly.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Transport, Mrs. Igwe Buike, had previously told the committee that she was unaware of the ongoing practice of multiple taxation.