Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), South East Zone, has written the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano, over alleged double taxation, extortion and daylight brigandage in the guise of pursuing internally generated revenue for the state.
The traders had lamented excessive expenses incurred on their goods within Onitsha while conveying them from Sapele where they were sourced.
Zonal chairman of the group, Comrade Aloysius Attah, in the letter, cited the plight of traders at the Uba Planks and Joints Ltd, UPJA, (Ogbo Osisi) and the Amalgamated Timber Dealers Association, ATDA, at the Bridge Head axis of Onitsha who recently sent a distress message to Obiano over multiple levies.
The group noted that some of the affected traders revealed that they were forced to pay the sum of N9, 000 per vehicle to one revenue agent identified as Jekwu before such truck load of timber was allowed to pass through the down bridge and proceed for offloading inside the market.