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Market Women Protest Over Indiscriminate Taxation In Aba

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Pandemonium reigned supreme in Aba, Abia State on Wednesday as women from the various markets in the city embarked on a protest march on major roads against what they described as arbitrary taxation and intimidation of traders at Clifford, Adazi, Highlife markets by agents of Aba South Local Council.

 

The women who deal mainly on fruits and vegetables numbering over 500 marched through Azikwe, Mosque and Asa roads to the Aba South Council secretariat with placards which read:  “Taxes have methods and principles, but in Aba, it is at the whims and caprices of the collectors,” “Must we pay taxes for any air we breathe in Abia State? Can’t the government obey the law also? In Aba, taxes are collected with force.”

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In a chat with journalists, leader of the group, Mrs. Ngozi Eke, said that they decided to embark on the protest march to draw the attention of the local and state government to the activities of the revenue collection agents and the use of police to harass traders in the market.

 

“Yesterday, about 12 of our members were arrested and detained at the Aba Area Command unlawfully. They were released last night but refused to give them their phones. This morning when they went back to collect their phones at about 8 am as they were asked to come back, they rearrested and detained them the second time.

 

“We have an order from the court which instructed them to stop collection of levy until things were harmonized. But less than three to four days after court gave the order, they came back and now uses force to be collecting the toll and in the process, they beat up traders and destroyed our wares,” Eke said.

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The market leader stated that her members are ready to pay tolls but they must be harmonized while the activities of the touts who claim to be working for the local government should be stopped.

 

Efforts to speak with the Transition Committee chairman of Aba South Local council, Dr. Christian Okoli proved abortive as he mobile line was unavailable.

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