Onitsha Drug Traders Urge Soludo To Halt Rising Illegal Revenue Collections
As Anambra pushes for a cleaner, more transparent revenue system under Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, tension is rising in markets where traders claim the very reforms meant to protect them are being exploited by unofficial actors.
Drug traders at the Ogbogwu drug market in Onitsha have called on Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo to urgently intervene over what they describe as a surge in illegal revenue collections crippling their businesses.
The traders allege that unauthorised levies have become widespread, reportedly enforced by individuals linked to the market’s Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Chukwulota Ndubuisi, in alleged collaboration with certain members of the Anambra State Revenue Collection Committee (CTC).
Their frustration came to a head over the weekend following a heated confrontation with CTC officials.
Traders claim they are being forced to pay a compulsory “company levy” of ₦65,000, alongside security fees and other unapproved charges.
Mr Emmanuel Ozoemenam, one of the affected traders, said the situation had reached a breaking point.
“We are being extorted every day. They forcefully collect ₦65,000 from us in the name of company levies. If this continues, many of us may be pushed out of business and back to our villages,”
He lamented.
He also recounted how members of a watch night group allegedly acted on instructions from CTC leaders to enforce the collections, heightening fear and intimidation within the market.
Ozoemenam appealed to Governor Soludo to step in swiftly, warning that the unchecked extortion was threatening livelihoods and stability in one of the state’s most critical commercial hubs.
However, Comrade Chukwulota Ndubuisi, Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, denied all allegations, insisting he had no knowledge of the purported illegal activities.
“I know nothing about the allegations, but I will address the matter at the appropriate time,” he told journalists.
The traders say they are hopeful the governor will intervene before the situation worsens.
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