By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka- Anambra State government has threatened to send leaders of the various markets to jail for allegedly diverting revenues collected in the various markets in the state.

The state commissioner for commerce and industry, Dr. Christian Madubuko, who issued the threat during a meeting he held with leaders of the Bridge Head Market, Onitsha, observed that the state government was losing billions of naira revenue due to corrupt practices by market leaders.

Among the allegations were that most market leaders printed many fake receipts with which they use to defraud government, adding that while people were made to pay the stipulated levies, they never knew they were issued fake receipts in most cases.

Madubuko, who was accompanied by security operatives during the meeting, came face to face with allegations and counter allegations over the manner government revenue was ending up in private pockets. For instance, hundreds of shops were being constructed daily in various places in Onitsha, but in most cases, the market leaders collect revenue from them without paying to government coffers.

The commissioner, who was visibly worried, said he called the meeting because since he assumed office there had been series of allegations against the president general of the Head Bridge Market, Mr. Sunday Obinze, adding that some of the traders even wrote petitions, while some came personally to the ministry to complain.

He said the annoying aspect of the situation was that the said chairman allegedly boasted that nothing would happen to him because he had allegedly paid his way through with N20 million gratification.

He said: “We are looking for huge sums of money and we must get it. First of all, I want all line chairmen to give us full evidence of where the monies are, from 2015 to date, otherwise some people will go to jail. I want all the photocopies of tickets issued to people. I have proof that illegal tickets are circulating in the markets and this is a big financial sabotage.”

Some of the traders had accused their chairman of printing over 10 types of illegal receipts, which were being used to collect revenue without remitting same to government and called on the state government to ban the use of receipts issued in the markets because they were fake. They also accused the chairman of diverting the N10 million released to the traders for project execution in the market, while the N5 million realized during revenue drive in the market was not paid to government.

Meanwhile, the state government said it would introduce Close Circuit Television, CCTV, in all the markets, starting with the Onitsha Main Market as a way of reducing crime in the markets.

The project was started two years ago, but was stopped following disagreement between the traders and government, but the state government said weekend that the was need to have it in place as it is obtained in developed countries.