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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Business / Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State (798 Views)
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Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by Donpressman(m): 3:25pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
•Fayose seals banks, petrol station, over 100 shops •Angry traders invade revenue office Scores of Igbo shop owners on Secretariat Road, Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, yesterday protested what they called “outrageous taxes” imposed on them by the Ayo Fayose administration. Over 100 shops belonging to Igbo traders, Zenith and Diamond banks and NNPC mega filling station were shut by officials of the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) in an operation that began at 9am. The traders marched from their shops to the BIR headquarters opposite Old Governor’s Office and sang songs such as “We no go gree o, we no go gree”, among others. Frightened BIR workers shut their doors on the protesters and didn’t open them until the 4pm closing time. Special Adviser to the Governor on Revenue Ropo Ogunjobi was not at his desk when the protesters invaded the BIR headquarters. The traders claimed that they entered into an agreement with BIR for a tax rate of N5,500 but officials of the tax agency visited their business offices yesterday morning claiming the agreed tax no longer subsists. Chairman of Secretariat Road Traders Association Uchenna Madunagu claimed that BIR imposed taxes ranging between N75,000 and N180,000 on the traders, which he said are too much for their businesses. Madunagu said the traders were forced out of their shops by stern- looking armed policemen, civil defence officers and suspected thugs clutching chains and padlocks. The traders’ boss claimed that most of the traders still had cash, passbooks, cheques and keys to their homes inside the shops. Madunagu said: “The newly imposed taxes have no basis anywhere because a tax is supposed to be based on your income and you don’t do assessment of taxes in your room, you have to come to our shops and see the business we run. “You don’t have to send hoodlums and thugs to close our shops. Imagine a shop that the goods inside is not up to N200,000 being asked to pay N100,000. “The most painful part is that we entered into an agreement with the tax people and they gave us a bill of N5,500 and as the chairman, I told my members because things are difficult in Ekiti and Nigeria now. “We came to their office based on the agreement of N5,500 only for them to tell us that the one we agreed upon is no longer valid that they are coming up with new taxes. “They came with keys, chains and other things and used force to intimidate us. Why should shop owners in Ajilosun be paying N3,500 and those in Fajuyi be paying N5,500 and those of us on Secretariat Road be paying between N75,000 and N180,000? “We have been paying taxes every year, not that we don’t want to pay but this latest tax regime is unbearable and their approach is selective because we contribute much to commerce and economy in Ekiti. “Most of our belongings such as keys to our houses, cash, cheque books, passbooks and other valuables have been locked inside by the government agents. “They should open our shops and listen to us, we are citizens of this country and we should not be marginalised because we are contributing between 80 and 90 per cent to the economy in Ekiti.” Secretary of the association Chizom Unegbu urged Fayose to reduce the taxes, saying there should be no selective application of taxes in the state. Ogunjobi said the question of the traders paying N5,500 never emanated from his office. He said: “Those traders are lying. The N5,500 they are talking about is not from this office because what we are talking about now is the Personal Income Tax. “We have assessed them, they should go and collect the assessment notice and go to the bank and pay their taxes.” Diamond bank was said to be owing operational tax which used to be N10,000 in the past but has been jerked up to N120,000. A source said the tax has been paid after which the bank was reopened, meaning that its doors will be opened to customers today. The Nation. |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by trapQ: 3:28pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
Lmao.... Pests and rodents. |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by ukukaegbu(m): 3:34pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
I know that many states are finding it hard in terms of revenue generation, but taxes should not charged arbitrarily. There should be an objective assessment. Btw, I'm sure all traders are affected, not just Igbo traders...............for those that will want to cause disaffection between Fayose and the people that love him so much. 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by Donpressman(m): 3:41pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
ukukaegbu:Exactly my thought. Fayose took this one too far. I like the man but on this very one he messed up big time! |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by kelch19(m): 3:46pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
trapQ:u are the worst fool on nairaland..people like u are the problem of nigeria 1 Like |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by Tomtoxic: 4:02pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
flog the idiots |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by egopersonified(f): 4:51pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
Next stop, Edo state |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by Donpressman(m): 6:21pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
Tomtoxic:Haba! |
Re: Igbo Traders Protest 'outrageous' Tax In Ekiti State by trapQ: 8:03pm On Oct 21, 2015 |
your people are the worst of humankind. it's not by force to follow you lots. go alone. kelch19: |
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