A group known as Mobile Advert Practitioners of Nigeria, has condemned the ill-treatment melted out on their members in Abia State by a former revenue contractor named Mr. Azubuike Erondu Ihuoma also known as Mopol, stating that he muscled and intimidated their members and the general public into paying for all sorts of revenue and emblems of Abia state Government directly to him.
Mobile Advert Practitioners of Nigeria, said such high-handedness and fragrant disregard to extant taxes and levies laws as it relates to the laws and administration of revenue laws of the federal republic of Nigeria is in negation of all accepted standards of revenue generation in Nigeria and other climes.
Addressing newsmen in Umuahia on Thursday at the Abia Investment Building, the President of the Forum in Nigeria, Otunba Mike Eboeziegbe, in company of the Executive Director chief Richard Obeto, the Director General Andrew Oare, the Abia State forum members led by Mrs Uju Azubike and the Ebonyi coodinator chief Afudike, said it was regrettable how Erondu Ihuoma molested their members.
He said the Forum are also aware of payments made through him by their members, cooperate bodies which did not hit the state revenue database, stressing that the various harassments on their drivers whenever they come to the Abia State became a source of worry and needed to be tackled.
Otunba Eboeziegbe revealed that Mr Azubuike Erondu popularly known as Mopol of Zubics Ventures collected for each vehicle starting from N35,000 and above as against N5500 set by the State Government as tariff for the Abia state Government emblem, informing that he detained vehicles coming into Abia State for days on several occasions which led to losses for the owners of the goods.
He also revealed that trucks laden with perishable goods were not spared in his attempt to collect revenue, stressing that he insisted that their members paid about N200 thousand to release a truck from his detention yard.
Otunba Eboeziegbe told newsmen that they
have reached out to various government agencies responsible for the collection of revenue in the state, reiterating that all confirmed that Mr Azubuike Erondu Ihuoma is no longer working with Abia state government as his contract has long been terminated.
He expressed gratitude, emphasizing that members of the Forum nationwide and members of the general public are happy over the development while admonishing them to expect human and lawful treatment on Abia roads going forward.
He assured the general public to expect avoidable charges from the Abia State Passengers Integrated Manifest Scheme, ASPIMS, stressing that they have been mandated and given appropriate directives which is in accordance with the Abia State Board of Internal Revenue.
Otunba Eboeziegbe pledged that their members and customers will buy only genuine Abia state emblem as they will henceforth train their workforce to use the novel Abia enforcement app.
He appreciated the Abia State Government for their tools which have the potential to improve collections and the convenience of the taxpayer on Nigerian roads while also commending the Governor of Abia state, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu for the attention he gave to them to address him on the issues of Abia state emblem enforcement and his prompt intervention to forestall the criminal act of some of the operators in the state.
Otunba Eboeziegbe also lauded the Chairman ABiRS, Mr Celestine Agbara and the State General Consultant Sir Mac Atasie, for their commitment in shoring up the revenue base of the State, pledging that the Forum will continue to liaise with them just as he added that with what is on ground, Abia is ready for business.
