By Wisdom Nwedene, Abakaliki
A sad incident which many people have described as an eyesore has occurred at Ebonyi International Market which was renamed St Umahi Margaret International Market by the immediate past administration.
A video which has been circulating online and obtained by our correspondent showed people that claimed to be Ebonyi Taskforce members or operatives forcing petty traders to pay taxes amid the economic hardship in the country.
In the video, a Taskforce member was captured collecting 600 Naira from a petty trader who is selling vegetables worth 1000 Naira.
This means, the petty trader will go home with only 400 naira as his gain in order to feed her family.
Meanwhile, our correspondent, Wisdom Nwedene visited the International Market to ascertain the authenticity of the video and equally interviewed some of the traders and discovered that the sad incident is ongoing at the International Market.
Some of the traders that spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity in order to avoid being victimised by the notorious taskforce operatives confirmed that the ugly incident has been ongoing for a long time.
A 65-year-old woman, Mrs Ngozi Michael said she sells cucumber but always being forced to pay taxes by the taskforce.
According to her, “What you saw in the video is just the truth. We pay from 400 naira to 600 Naira each day by people that claim to be working for the State government.”
“We don’t know if the government is aware of this incident but the truth is that we are suffering. Help us to tell the Ebonyi State Government to come to our rescue. The taxes are becoming a heavy burden on us”.
Another woman who spoke with our correspondent said she sells Vegatables which she planted at the back of her house but still pays tax to the government.
“The truth is that these Vegatables that I am selling, I didn’t buy them. I harvested them from the back of my house but because of the Economic hardship, I decided to sell part of it in order to feed my family.”
“If you bring these Vegatables together, they are not up to 1500 Naira but I have 400 naira to the State Government already. This is really bad and the Governor should be made to be aware of this ugly incident”, she told our correspondent.
As at the time of filing this report, our correspondent reached out to the Special Assistant on New Media to Ebonyi State Governor, Mr Leo Oketa who confirmed that he is aware of the video but will respond soon.
“Yes, I have seen the video which you sent to me on WhatsApp, I will respond soon”, Mr Oketa told our correspondent on telephone phone call.
Recall that Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State in March 2024 cautioned revenue collectors against collecting taxes from vegetable sellers and other petty traders.
This warning was contained in a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Dr. Monday Uzor, in Abakaliki then.
He stated that the governor dropped the hint during the swearing-in of members of the Revenue Appeal Commission held at centenary city, New Government House, Abakiliki.
Nwifuru described the collection of taxes from vegetable sellers as inhuman and urged them to avoid such acts.
He said there was no reason to collect tax from people selling their farm produce in the local markets.
“I want you to go for big big business owners.
“I have told the Revenue Service, I don’t want you to go to the village markets and be collecting tax from vegetable sellers, I have said it times without number.
“I don’t see reasons we should be taxing people who are selling what they got from their farms,” he advised.
Watch the video below
