IMO: Governor Hope Uzodinma is by this news medium sincerely alerted on the unresolved absurd activities of his lieutenants on revenue collection and toll regulations on Imo markets and some other locations across the state.
The Owerri Municipal Council Mayor and Chairman, Hon Chidiebere Emeribe alongside business men and women in the world bank market Owerri are pleading with the Governor of Imo state to as a matter of urgency, call to order and caution the oversight activities of the State Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment, Hon Rex SOKOM Anunobi as regards Imo markets tolls.
Following the outcome of the continued ugly developments at the market over the weekend, where the commissioner and his affiliate boards set the market community on distress over revenue collection, Imolites are calling on His Excellency Governor Hope Uzodinma to come to their immediate rescue and resolve their differences as 9News Nigeria reports.
The sorry situation ensued, if not thoroughly resolved and duties assigned officially to appropriate government officials and agencies saddled to collection of revenue, will definitely lead to a state of chaos or looming danger across Imo markets as investigated by our News correspondents in Owerri Monday.
As at the time of filling this report by 9News Nigeria, Imo World Bank Market is bedevilled with series of order (s), instructions, counter instructions and counter directives from the 3R Shared Prosperity government officials on revenue collection and tolls, of which confusion has beclouded Imolites to identify the actual ministry or board appropriate for the collection of revenue in Imo market.
The situation presently led to the accusation on Owerri Municipal Council interloping into the Owerri West geographical axis on revenue collection. It also calls for the actual definition of boundaries in Imo by IGIS.
It is has also brought an allegation against “The New Owerri Youth Organization (NOYO) , accused of extorting traders in the market. However, investigations reveal that these allegation is unfounded and holds no water.
Our investigation reveals that NOYO’s role has been purely mediatory, aimed at de-escalating tensions and fostering dialogue between the conflict groups.
It is unfortunate to note that the wrangle between the commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment alongside the Owerri Municipal Council management and ISAMATTA is purely revenue collection as 9News Nigeria reports.
Speaking with 9News, the Deputy Mayor and the Vice Chairman of Owerri Municipal hinted that the constitutional mandate of Local Governments in Revenue Collection is enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which provides a robust legal framework defining the roles of local government councils.
Specifically, Paragraph 1 of the Fourth Schedule clearly states that local governments are responsible for the collection of rates, market tolls, and other revenues within their jurisdiction.
Further more, this constitutional provision assigns exclusive powers to local government councils to collect revenue from markets located within their localities.
Such powers are integral to their autonomy and financial sustainability, allowing them to fulfill their statutory responsibilities, including infrastructure development, public health management, and social services.
ISAMATTA is a statutory board of government under the local government arm of government saddled with the responsibility for such revenue collection under LGA council as investigated by 9News Nigeria.
However the rift at the world bank market can cause a total dis-arrangement of this government process while calling on the government of Imo state to middle into resolving this crisis without further delay.
As an overnight function of the commissioner, the situation could have be handled amicably than the war war process we have exposed for public attention.
In a video going viral on social media outlets on the link below, the commissioner was sighted going round world bank market warning marketers to stop paying tolls or revenue to any agency until resolution by government. On the other hand, ISAMATTA from Owerri municipality have refused such orders and insisted to continue the LGA market tolls from world bank market.
Originally the world back market is situate in Umuguma Owerri West land but the recent geographical map update in the state have ceded World bank market to Owerri Municipal and its revenue thereto as investigated by 9News. This may not be good news to the toll collectors and some taskforce agents in the business of revenue collection for both LGAs.
On the above stated therefore, the recent geographical development is expected to be well defined by the Public cum National Orientation Agency and the state Ministry of information and IGIS for clarifications.
Owerri Municipal and Owerri West local government areas are expected to identify or know their geographical boundary marks and stop interloping into each LGAs’s land, properties, tolls and revenue.
On this therefore, Chairman Owerri Municipal Council, Hon Chidiebere Emeribe has sued for peace and orderliness as it concern tolls and revenue collection in Owerri municipality while charging World Bank Market, Ekeonunwa, Relief and all markets in the municipality to adhere to the government order and rules of compliance for revenue payments.
Meanwhile, the situation calls for an immediate attention of the Imo State government ably led by His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma CON to resolve lingering crisis between the ministry manning the Commerce affairs and the municipal council, and also the statutory board saddled with the official responsibility for the collection of tolls across Imo markets taken precedence with the troubling situation at World Bank Market Owerri.
Unarguably, Mr Daniel C. Ibe, present World Bank Market Chairman was allegedly installed by same Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Investment at the instance of unverified allegations levied against the Former Chairperson and Secretary, Mrs Tina Ugoezi and Mr Udoka Adamu Nnamdi recently as our 9News Nigeria authoritatively reports.
-Princely Onyenwe reporting
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