Multiple Levies : Drivers' President Warns Illegal Revenue Collectors After Appointment As PNAI Co-ordinator
By Juliana Nwachukwu
The National President, Heavy Duty Truck Drivers' Association, comrade Uche Rogers Nebuwa, has warned that the association will not tolerate imposition of multiple levies by illegal revenue collectors on the highways nationwide this year.
Sounding the note of warning shortly after his appointment as Mobile Volunteered Membership Emblems co-ordinator and taskforce member of Policing Nigeria Awareness Initiative, (PNAI), he reiterated the resolve of the drivers and PNAI to work in partnership to sack all illegal revenue collectors on the highways.
Commending PNAI Executive Chairman, Chief Egbe Akparakwu, who doubles as the President, Governing Council, for finding him worthy to be so honoured, Nebuwa attributed it to his relentless efforts in sanitizing the highways nationwide, saying that the honour will spur him to do more.
"This effort now to fight the illegal revenue collectors on the highways that include, emblems, ticket/stickers, among others who claim to be agents of the three tiers of governments should vacate the highways in their own interest and drivers who want to procure emblems/stickers should go to the designated agents and should not patronize the road touts," he warned.
The letter of his appointment read in part thus: "Following the insecurity situation and continued road criminal activities across the country and the importance of this PNAI National Anti Corruption against illegal activities and multiple taxations to the general public and its value to government Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), nationwide, you have been nominated to be of the PNAI Volunteered Coordinator for the campaign against corruption and illegal activities projects.
"PNAI policing marshals are calling on all national, state and local governments' security stakeholders to collectively come together for PPP. Partnership relationship with special focus to policing Nigeria illegal activities across boarders, as designed in line with Federal laws and policies to partner government bodies, corporate organizations, private establishments, civil investigators, country groups, NGOs, among others ".
To buttress his claim of having documented evidence of government support and approval that these illegal revenue agents should steer clear of the highways, Nebuwa referred to the letter signed by Mr. M.L. Abubakar, for Joint Tax Board, (JTB), banning sale of emblems/stickers to motorists nationwide.
"As part of continuous efforts to curb the illegal imposition of levies and fees by unauthorized persons and sanitize the Nigeria tax system, the Joint Tax Board hereby notifies the general public of the ban on the sale of emblems/stickers to motorists across the nation," the letter read in part."
Nebuwa also referred to the resolution of the 4th meeting of National Economic Council, held on Thursday 22nd April 2004, which banned anybody from mounting road block on the highways for purposes of revenue collection.
The resolution of the 4th NEC meeting read in part thus : "No person, including a tax authority, shall mount a road block in any part of the Federation for the purpose of collecting any tax or levy.
"In consideration of Section 2 of this degree, if guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of #50,000 or imprisonment for 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment."
*Juliana is of the Ministry of Information, Anambra State
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