Business activities were paralysed at Obollo-Afor market in Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State on Wednesday as traders shut their shops and staged a peaceful protest over an alleged selective haulage tax imposed on trucks operating in the market.
The traders, who carried placards with various inscriptions, alleged that the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service (ESIRS) had singled out Obollo-Afor market for a N25,000 haulage fee per truckload of goods loaded or offloaded at the market.
The protest reportedly affected all shops and markets in the area as traders came out in large numbers to express their grievances.
The Chairman of the Obollo-Afor Market Traders Association, Charles Eze, said the levy had discouraged truck operators from bringing goods directly to the market.
According to him, trucks conveying foodstuffs, building materials and other commodities had allegedly diverted their consignments to other markets, including Orba, Enugu-Ezike, Nsukka and Orie-Igbo Eze, where the traders claimed similar haulage charges were not being imposed.
The truck owners have diverted our goods to Orba, Enugu-Ezike, Nsukka, and Orie-Igboeze, asking us to come and pick our goods there because they don’t pay such levies there except in Obollo-Afor. And so we are asking, why Obollo alone?” Eze said.
He stressed that the traders were not opposed to paying legitimate government levies, noting that they already comply with the state government’s e-ticketing system.
However, he described the alleged exclusive haulage charge as unfair and called for equal treatment across markets in the state.
Eze claimed that the haulage charge had caused truck operators to stop bringing goods to Obollo-Afor for more than two months.
He said the situation had severely affected traders and reduced commercial activity in the market.
This is the reason we closed shops for protest because truck operators bringing goods for us have refused to come to Obollo-Afor and it has crumbled the Obollo-Afor market and hunger has set in.”
The traders appealed to Governor Peter Mbah to intervene in the matter.
Eze said the traders were willing to pay applicable government charges provided the fees were consistent with those imposed in other major markets across Enugu State.
Responding to the allegations, the Chairman of ESIRS, Emmanuel Nnamani, said the haulage levy was not targeted at traders buying or selling goods in markets.
In a letter addressed to the traders, Nnamani explained that the levy was applicable specifically to truck drivers operating on interstate routes.
The clarification came as traders continued to demand an explanation for what they described as the alleged selective enforcement of the levy at Obollo-Afor.
The traders marched to the Udenu Local Government Secretariat to formally present their grievances to council officials.
Responding on behalf of the council, the Secretary to the Local Government, Chika Aroh, said officials had scheduled a meeting with representatives of ESIRS to investigate the allegations.
Aroh said the meeting would establish whether the haulage levy was being collected exclusively at Obollo-Afor or whether it was also applicable in other markets across the state.
He also assured the protesters that, pending clarification, the council would ask for the collection to be stopped.After the Thursday meeting, we will communicate you,” Aroh said.
The traders are now awaiting the outcome of the meeting between the local government authorities and ESIRS as they seek an immediate resolution to the dispute.
