TRACKING >>The Abia State government has dissociated itself from the illegal levy imposed on traders of Ekeoha Shopping Centre by the market leadership.
It was gathered that the market leadership had been collecting an unauthorised fee for “the construction of a Flower Pot Access Road and other Projects” from shop owners, which is causing ripples in the market.
A statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Onyebuchi Ememanka, said the government frowned at the action, and at no time did it approve any such levy nor held any meetings with the market association as regards the levy.
Ememanka described the action as the height of impunity and administrative rascality, and summoned the market leadership to a meeting at the Office of the Deputy Governor on August 14.
He also directed the leadership to withdraw the demand notices it issued to the traders and refund any such levies already collected from any trader before the close of business yesterday.
The government also warned other market unions and their leadership to desist from collecting illegal levies from traders, warning that the government would bring its full weight against defaulters.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Abia State government has been drawn to the collection of money by the leadership of the Ekeoha Shopping Centre Traders Association, under the guise of building a FLOWER POT ACCESS ROAD AND OTHER PROJECTS in the market. Traders have been levied different sums of money, ranging between N100,000 and N250,000 per shop, depending on the shop’s location. The government is saddened at this brazen display of illegality and impunity by the leadership of the Ekeoha Shopping Centre Traders. At no time did the government approve any such levy, neither has it held any meetings with the market association on this subject matter.
“The public, and in particular traders at the Ekeoha Shopping Centre are, by this notice, informed that these levies are illegal and the notices issued by the association should be ignored.
“The government hereby directs the association to withdraw the demand notices issued to traders and refund money already collected from any trader. This refund must be completed before the close of business today (yesterday).”
