BY ERIC OGBOR
ABA—RESIDENTS of Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, have decried multiple levies and taxation imposed by state government ministries and parastatals.

Consequently, they appealed to Governor Theodore Orji to reduce some of the taxes in order not to compound their hardship, coupled with removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

The residents, who spoke to Vanguard, stated that the state government, through its ministries and parastatals, was collecting what they called “physical and infrastructural development levy, ASEPA fees, Ministry of Environment fees, Ministry of Commerce fees, demolition team fees, and normal taxes”.

The people stated that “each shop in Aba pays over N10,000 collectively through these levies and taxes and in most cases, government uses its security outfit called “Bakassi” to compel us to pay, even with force, and impose penalty when we fail to pay at their specified dates.”

An electronic dealer at St. Michael’s Road Aba, Chief Emeka Enyiogu said: “This is why they say Aba people hate this present government, the government has no feeling and all their policies are targeted at extorting and inflicting hardship on the people without a corresponding palliatives”.

“They have forced us to relocate to the Ohabiam Electronics Market where there are no facilities and still they continue to collect multiple levies from us without any corresponding infrastructural development in Aba,” he said.

Chief Enyiogu cited the levies collected by the state ministry of environment and ASEPA and queried the difference between the two government bodies.

He said “ASEPA, which is Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, collects levies for waste disposal and clearing of dirts in the state while the state ministry of environment uses the state security outfit (BAKASSI) to force residents to pay fees which it claims it uses to clear the drainages, what a duplication from an unfriendly government”.

He maintained that “the government of Abia State has stifled businesses in Aba since it’s inception in 2007 and that was why we never voted for them in 2011 forget about they muscled their way to victory but believe me, the government knows that it is unpopular in Aba and it’s environs”.

A leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, at Osisioma Park, Nze Chimere Nwoke, appealed to the state government to show human face this year and reduce the sufferings of people of the state.

He said:   “Business is no longer moving as usual, the fuel subsidy removal and multiple taxations in the state will compound the woes of the people and one wonders how we can survive this year, government should help us and know that the masses do not get money the way they do to avoid revolution one day in the state.