Aladja community in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State has banned all illegal collection of levies or fees from property developers, popularly called ‘development levies’ or ‘Deve’.
It warned that anybody caught in the act of collecting such levies shall be arrested and handed over to the police for prosecution in line with the ‘anti-deve’ laws of Delta State as recently passed by the Delta State House of Assembly and signed into law by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
The community made it stand known in a statement by the President of Aladja Community Council, Elder Otto Ogbiruveta, and released to newsmen on Thursday.
The community disclosed that all the leadership organs of Aladja community, including the Aladja Community Council, the Elders Council, the Oghwuvwie-in Council, Youths and Women folks had met on Wednesday, March 3 to review activities of the illegal revenue collectors who extort property developers in the name of ‘community building permit’ and other sundry collections.
The statement noted that the organs resolved that in line with the Delta State government laws which prohibit all forms of ‘deve’, Aladja community have resolved to ban all such activities with immediate effect, warning that those involved in such behaviors shall have themselves to blame.
The statement added that all security agencies including the police, Army, NSCDC, DSS and other security organs of government, have been notified of the community’s decision.
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It warned that no such illegal revenue collection shall be tolerated in the community and that prospective property developers are free to go ahead with their building plans without any fear of molestation, extortions and unethical behaviour from community youths or leadership in the name of ‘deve’.
The statement also called on property developers to notify the community leadership of any unethical demands on them by youths or anybody in the name of building permit or ‘deve’.
“The community will not hesitate to deal decisively with perpetrators of the act and those covertly encouraging such acts in the community,” it added.
The statement added further that the community was not willing to generate fund through such unethical means and so warn those involved to desist forthwith in their own interests.
It added that the community’s anti-deve squad has been discreetly activated to bring perpetrators to book in the interest of peace and progress in Aladja.
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