The traders
in Awka, Anambra state have kicked against the policies of the state government
geared towards improving the internally generated revenue of the state in a
peaceful protest.
The protesters
under the auspices of Ziks Avenue Business Owners Association (ZABOA) commenced
the peaceful protest from their Amaenyi general office in Awka, through the
ever busy Ziks avenue road to the government lodge in Amawbia .
Speaking
with our correspondent the coordinator of the associations task force unit Mr
Ikechukwu Okafor said that the protest was essential because the people of the
state where suffering from the ill treatment by those he referred to as
‘Governor Obiano police’.
He explained
that the government’s enforcement officers where causing more harm and damage
to the state as they operate in a violent and illegal manner, hence their
resolve to engage on a peaceful protest.
Mr Okafor
said that the association had taken a stand against the collection of illegal
car tolls, wheel barrow hawking tolls, illegal detachment of parked vehicles
plate numbers and towing of vehicles parked along Ziks avenue by any government
agency.
He frowned
against the collection of extraneous levies such as parking fees by officers of
the state enforcement agency along the avenue, terming it illegal and unlawful.
“This people
come around and tow our cars and when you go to their office to get back your
car they will ask you to pay 25000. How can one pay such amount of money for
doing nothing?”
“They
terrorize our customers and collect unnecessary money from them just to allow
them to park their cars and if you don’t pay they will lose your plate number
and sometimes beat you up if u try to object” Okafor complained
“We are
saying no to all this illegal acts by the state government, we are saying no
illegal collection of money from us and our hawkers, we are saying no to the
towing of our vehicles and the collection of parking levies” he declared
BY Chigozie Philip
Awka
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