By Praise Chinecherem
A human rights activist, Osita Obi has described the tax reform and digital revenue collection policy of Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo as fantastic.
He also said the governor was extremely fair and linient with the N15,000 monthly tax rate he asked tricyclists in the state to pay.
Mass protest had trailed the new tax regime, including blocking of the Onitsha/Enugu expressway by tricyclists for hours over what they called obnoxious levies by the state government.
But in a chat with our correspondent on Sunday, Obi said the keke operators should be grateful to Soludo for his magnanimity, stressing that the N15,000 tax was far cry from what they were being extorted from those he called touts and cultists.
He said, “Take a look at this flyer. This is what keke drivers in Awka North and South pay to cultists and touts compare it to Soludo’s N15,000 a month. This outside #450 daily ticket. Honestly Soludo is too fair to keke drivers.
“Also the keke drivers operating at Owerri road Onitsha pay #3500 daily to cultists and agboros including #450 daily ticket to government and union. Soludo tax reform policy and digital revenue collection policy is fantastic.
“What the keke drivers are complaining is payment by those who are off work for three weeks, one month or even two months as a result of illness, mechanical fault or travel. By the time they resume work they pay for the period they did not work.
“They also complain that some senior officials of Soludo government are conniving and collaborating with the cultists and agboros to extort them.
“Another complaint from keke drivers is he is not serious with cultists and touts that intimidate, harass and extort them. But even at that, Soludo’s tax on keke drivers is too fair.”
Obi however assured the operators that he would continue to interface between them and government to ensure their welfare was guaranteed.
