Traders in Onitsha protest, demand tax receipts from Anambra govt

Traders at Ose-Okwodu Market in Onitsha on Wednesday appealed to Gov. Willie Obiano to prevail on his aides to issue receipts for payments made to the state government in 2014.

The traders who made their complaint during a peaceful protest at major streets in Onitsha, carried placards with inscriptions as “Ose-Okwodu market traders wants the receipt of money they paid into government account”.

The placards also read “His Excellency, please save us from official manipulators” and “Akpokue Dike, we want the receipts for the money paid into government accounts”.

Addressing newsmen, the Chairman of Ose- Okwodu Market Traders Association, Mr Donatus Uzo, said they had been patient enough on the issue.

Uzo said that they paid N6,000 made up of tax N3,000; stallage fee N1, 800 and development levy N1,200 with no receipt to show for them.

“We paid, gave them the bank teller and the accountant-general of the state confirmed the money we paid into the government account but the government refused to give us our receipts.

“Today we went straight to complain to the governor but unfortunately we could not see him, rather the Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Mr Ikem Uzoechina, was the person who received us.

“He told us to put our complaint in writing with the bank teller of the money we paid attached to the letter,” he said.

When contacted on the matter, the Director of Trade in the state ministry of commerce, trade and industry, Mr Mike Uzuagu, said that there was a problem in identifying full and half shops in the market.

Uzuagu noted that the commissioner for commerce, trade and industry had directed that before they would be issued with receipts, he would assess the shops and classify them appropriately.