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*traders, Okpoko Community invade Govt House to protest imposition of
agents, multiple taxes

Hundreds of placard-carrying members of the all powerful Onitsha
market traders’ association made up of importers and their clearing
agents yesterday invaded the Government House, Awka as the closure of
the one of its branches at the Old Motor Spareparts, Ugwuagba Obosi,
enters the fourth day.

The angry traders, who insisted on seeing Gov Peter Obi, said they
were protesting what they described as the imposition of multiple and
often dubious taxes on them by some persons under the garb of state
government revenue agents.

Simultaneously, another group from the Okpoko Community, a suburb of
Onitsha, led by Mr Felix Onunkwo, an elder in the area, also came to
register their anger over the non-conduct of Town Union elections that
became due long before now. They were averse to the continuous
appointment of Caretaker team to over see their affairs.

The importers led by Chief Titus Aninwa, carrying placards with
inscriptions like, “we are tired of illegal levies, we say no to
corruption”, “too many levies are killing our businesses”, ASMATA
please leave us alone”, insisted that oftentimes the revenue agents
invade their business premises with touts and armed security agents
and bully and intimidate them into parting with huge sums to escape
molestation. They disclosed that the agents who often come into the
markets in convoy of about 7 buses loaded with arms, machetes, clubs
and other dangerous weapons has threatened to harm anyone who dares
resist them.

One such revenue collection currently generating tension that could
boil over any moment include the ‘container levy’ of N2500 for a 20ft
container and N5000 for a 40ft container, as against the loading and
off-loading of containers, which was well-known to them.

The Okpoko citizens said they came to express their anger over the
latest imposition of another team of Caretaker executive to oversee
their affairs after the community had concluded plans with the
immediate past Caretaker team led by Godwin Ehiobu, to conduct formal
election to chose their leaders who would overee to their welfare.
That any new foisting of handpicked officers on the 42 constituting
communities in the area would breed more crises.

The Secretary to the State Government(SSG), Chief Oseloka Obaze who
received them in turns, assured the traders that the government was
very much aware of their complaint and has been working behind the
seen to apprehend all the culprits as well as the security officers
being used.

He also told the Okpoko community to expect the government action
soon. Thereafter he went into a closed door meeting with all their
leaders to formulate ways of ensuring the crises did not boil over.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has presented the state’s 2013 budget estimates of N150,045,377,060 billion to the State House of Assembly for consideration with capital expenditure taking 60% of the budget.

Tagged: “Taking Edo State to the next Level” the 2013 estimate is lower than the 2012 budget of N150.97 billion.

According to the Governor, “the 2013 budget proposal is geared towards lifting our state to the next level of development beyond the steady and sustainable progress we have made in the last four years.

The 2013 budget is not only targeted at the completion of ongoing infrastructural projects but also aimed at accelerating the growth and development of the state”.

The Governor disclosed that the sum of N87,409,475,855 billion representing 60% is being proposed as capital expenditure while the proposed Recurrent Expenditure is N62,637,901,205 billion which represents approximately 40% of the budget, adding “we are sustaining the tradition of putting more funds into the capital expenditure.”

In the sectoral allocations, Works is to take the lion share of the Capital expenditure followed by education. Oshiomhole said: “the proposed N87.40 billion capital project will be allocated to the following priority areas:  Works (road) N33.35 billion, Education N14.44 billion; Drainage and Sewage Environmental Protection N13.29 billion, Health, N2.80 billion and Water N1 billion.”

According to him, “the budget allocates the sum of N33,351,000,000 billion for all road infrastructure across the state.  This will be used to complete ongoing inter and intra-city road projects in addition to funding new road projects”.

The sum of N13,293,000,000 billion is allocated to Flood and Erosion Control and Environmental Protection, N8 billion allocated for the execution of projects under the Benin City Storm Water Masterplan while education has N14.6 billion capital and N12.1 billion recurrent expenditure.

The Governor said the sum of N6.78 allocated to the Health has N2.8 billion for capital expenditure.

In the area of electricity, the Governor said “in the 2013 fiscal year, it is the intention of government to complete on-going rural projects, embark on new ones and procure more transformers and feeder pillars.  Therefore, government has proposed the sum of N765 million for the 2013 fiscal year”.

The Agriculture and water Sub-section got N400 million and N1 billion respectively.

Oshiomhole said: “the essence of taking Edo State to the next level is hinged on the concept of carrying out institutional reforms to guarantee and sustain irreversible development”, thanking the Speaker and members of the Assembly for their co-operation.

On funding the budget, Governor Oshiomhole said the sum of N116,499,778,045 billion is proposed as recurrent revenue with N86.51 billion as statutory receipts and N26.97 billion Internally Generated Revenue. He said projected Capital receipts amounts to N64,341,876,840:00 billion while a projected deficit of N23,065,599,915 billion is to be funded through the World Bank Budget Support Facility and additional credit lines.

Responding, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon.  Uyi Igbe assured that the budget would be given speedy consideration.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has said that Nigeria has made significant progress in meeting the country’s security challenges.

President Jonathan was speaking to the new Ambassador of Switzerland to Nigeria, Mr. Hans-Rudolf Hodel, after he presented his letters of credence at State House, Thursday.

‘We are making significant progress in meeting our recent security challenges and we shall continue to improve, so investors have nothing to fear’, he assured.

The President, who received three other Ambassadors at different ceremonies, urged the new ambassadors to encourage more business delegations from their countries to visit the country.

He said, ‘Nigeria is a huge market, with many green areas waiting for investors. I urge you to prepare the ground for more robust economic relations between our two countries’.

President Jonathan told the new Egyptian Ambassador, Mr. Ashraf Abdelkader Elmorsi Salama that the two countries have a crucial role to play in the African Union, especially because of their strategic locations and population.

The new Ambassadors told the President that they were impressed by the vast opportunities in Nigeria, and expressed their determination and commitment to improving trade and other mutually beneficial relations with Nigeria.

The other new Ambassadors are Mr. Svante Kilander of Sweden and Dr. Joachim Oppinger of Austria.

Mogadishu — One soldier was killed and several civilians injured on Wednesday after a remotely controlled car bomb went off near the country’s parliament in the capital Mogadishu.

The vehicle full of explosives was left in the car park of a mosque near the Somali parliament building in Mogadishu where lawmakers were holding a session.

The parking area is used by lawmakers during parliament sessions. Security officials said that the vehicle was detonated hours after the lawmakers ended their sessions and none of the lawmakers were harmed in the blast.

It is thought that the lawmakers were the target of the bomb. A number of other cars in the area were destroyed by the force of the blast, which could be heard miles from the site of the explosion.

The body of a Somali government security official dressed in military uniform could be seen following the blast, but no group immediately claimed responsibility for it. However, al-Qaeda-linked fighters working with the hardline group al-Shebab have conducted a series of guerrilla-style attacks in the capital since pulling out of fixed positions in Mogadishu last year.

The blast coincides with a call by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to all Muslims to support al-Shebab in overthrowing the embattled federal government and replace it with Islamic law.

In recent months, al-Shebab has suffered major setbacks, with African Union troops wrestling several strongholds from them.

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From Umuahia, Abia State

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Ward Coordinators of a Non Governmental Organization (NGO), the Civil Awareness and Economic Empowerment Initiative (CAEI) in Obingwa local Government area of Abia State have petitioned the National Secretariat of the group over alleged extortion by the LG Coordinator, Mr. Maduforo John.

In a petition signed by the Coordinators of the eleven wards of the local government, they accused John of collecting sundry which was not approved by the National Directorate of CAEI.

“Mr. Maduforo John , the LG Coordinator of the CAEI programme has turned the entire programme in to a money making outfit for himself when he introduced and imposed illegally unnecessary levies and same were paid to quickly by unsuspecting registered members believing that it was and from the National office,” the petition read in part.

The alleged illegal levies collected by Mr. John includes membership form levy of N1,400 each from the 3,000 members of the CAEI in the local government; collection of N20,000 admission fee from the LG Secretary, Manager (Projects and Programmes ); Manager (Bank and Loans) and Women for Child Abuse.

Others include the collection of N26, 000 from each of the eleven ward excos; State Coordinator’s knighthood levy of N33, 000; N297, 000 ID card money paid by 18 officers in all the wards, levy for the swearing in of unit officers which amounted to N1, 375,000 and N360, 000 collected from members appointed as revenue collectors.

They further accused Mr. John of collecting N5, 000 each from the 90 persons interviewed as teachers to be engaged by CAEI totaling N450, 000 and another N600, 000 for appointment letter from the 60 persons who paid for it.

According to the Coordinators of Wards 9 and 10, Mr. Uzoma Nwankwo and Elder Barnabas Nwachukwu, what aroused their curiosity was that Mr. John began the collection of ‘empowerment money’ of various items for members across the eleven wards.“He asked members to pay N26,000 as part payment for a tricycle costing N633,000; N10,200 for a CG125 Motorcycle at the cost of N183,600; N2,850 for a Grinding machine costing N51,300 and N1,500 for a sewing machine costing N27,000.

“When we made enquiries, we found out that the National office of CAEI did not authorize the collection of any levy as empowerment money. The sum of N732, 000 was collected by Mr. John as empowerment money, while a total of N9, 921,500 as the total money illegal collected from CAEI members in the area,” they alleged.

The Coordinator for Ward 5, Mr. Stanley C. Samuel further alleged that Mr. John illegally collected N1, 400 from as membership form from CAEI members in Obingwa LGA when their counterparts in other areas paid N700 which he claimed is the official fees authorized by the State office.

Another Coordinator in the council who simply gave his name as Ogbonna Ogbu called on the National Office of CAEI to commence the empowerment programme as they have been under pressure from members who they registered through them.

“We the Ward Coordinators are now in a difficult situation. Members who registered through us have since been disturbing us for their money. They have been made to pay several levies believing that the programme would commence soon, but to no avail. If the programme began as we were made to believe, I don’t think we have suffered the problem we are facing now,” he lamented.

A gathered that on the strength of the petition, Mr. John was last week arrested by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS) while attending a seminar organized by CAEI at Umuahia.

A source further hinted that the Secretary of CAEI IN Obingwa, Mr. Ndubuisi Uzoije, was mandated by the National Office to serve as the Acting Coordinator of CAEI in the area until the SSS concludes its investigations on the matter.

John failed to pick calls made to his mobile number; however one of his associates, who preferred anonymity, disclosed that he is currently liaising with the Ward Coordinators in the area to settle the matter.

The Acting LG Coordinator, Mr. Uzoije also refused to speak to our correspondent, insisting that he does not want to talk to the press as the matter is still being investigated by the SSS.