….top officials fingered
By Favour Goodness
The incoming governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo might have his job cut out for him as some private individuals are plundering the resources of the state and making enormous money for themselves while shortchanging the state.
The professor of economics might have to work extra hard to salvage the situation as investigation into the Anambra State Internal Revenue Board reveals massive fraud and top officials are involved in the multi million naira illegal emblem sells, using a private contractor.
In other to successfully, perpetrate this fraud, these top officials, against the order of the state government banning the sells of emblem in the state, went ahead to sign a contract with a private contractor authorizing the said contractor to sell emblem to drivers and transporters on all the highways and in parks in the state
Some of the top officials fingered in the ongoing fraud is a member of the board, Internal Revenue Service and one of the Senior Special Advisers to the governor on IGR.
Lack of awareness on the embargo on the sells of emblem, among drivers and transporters in the state, has made it possible for the corrupt officials who have fraudulently commenced the sell of 2022 emblem in the state, thereby, creating problem for the outgoing administration of gov Obiano and the incoming administration of Prof Soludo.
These corrupt officials signed a 4-year contract with the private contractor who is illegally forcing transporters to buy the 2022 emblem against the order of the state government.
Some of the staff of the state Internally Generated Revenue Board on the condition of anonymity said those selling the emblem are not remitting the money to the government coffer.
The state government had banned the sells of emblems in 2017 because of its exorbitant rate leading to complaints from the drivers.
Some corrupt revenue agents engage the services of touts who extort drivers as high as N100,000. Some drivers and transporters interviewed by AIF Media said they were not aware of the ban, but said they were planning to embark on a protest walk in Awka if nothing is done urgently.
It is quite revealing that despite the ban, these corrupt revenue agents are still enforcing the sells of the emblem illegally. A source told AIF Media that these corrupt officials rake in about 20 million naira monthly and share among themselves.
Its imperative that the administration of Obiano which has over 4 months to wind down cleans up this mess to allow the new administration to start on a fresh clean footage.
