By Perez Brisibe

OTOR-UDU—A Delta State High Court sitting at Otor-Udu, headquarters of Udu Local Government Area, has declared the collection of Passengers Welfare Scheme levy and the daily Motorcycle and Tricycle taxes from Motorcycle and Tricycle operators in the state as illegal.

*Some commercial motorcyclists during operation

Trial judge, Justice C.E. Achilefu, also declared the assessment and collection of taxes and levies by private tax consultants, private individuals or bodies as illegal as same contravenes the provisions of Sections 2 (1), 3 and 4 of the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 (as amended).

It will be recalled that a rights activist and lawyer, Oghenejabor Ikimi, had dragged the Delta State Government to court over the collection of the levies, which he argued contravened parts of the schedule to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 (as amended).

In her ruling, Justice Achilefu restrained the state government perpetually from further using private tax consultants or private individuals or bodies to assess and collect taxes and levies on behalf of the state from operators of Motorcycle and Tricycle.

The court also restrained the state government perpetually from collecting the said levies from commuters as well as Keke and Okada operators in the state, stressing that same contravened the provisions of Part II of the Schedule  to the Taxes and Levies (Approved List for Collection) Act, 2004 (as amended).