Illegal revenue collection: Park managers seek ANSG intervention

Park Managers in Anambra State have called on the state government to urgently intervene in the anticipated crisis that may disrupt the existing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

The Treasurer, Park Managers Association in the state, Chief Nelson Enendu, accused the members of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) of strategising plans to continue illegal collection, irrespective of the state government order.

Though Enendu commended the state government for its earlier intervention in wading into the crowd when recently, the RTEAN in collaboration with members of the Executive Friends Drivers Welfare Association (EFDWA) wanted to take over parks, to continue illegal collection.

It was gathered that recently, there was a total breakdown of law and order at the Niger Bridge Head area of Onitsha, near the statute of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, when machetes and other dangerous weapons wielding touts took over the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, attacking anybody on sight.

The touts were chanting “No ticket, no peace” “We own Anambra State, and we will continue collecting our levies” “Nobody will stop our work.”

About 15 people sustained various degrees of injuries as they ran for their lives, while oncoming vehicles and tricycles knocked others down, resulting to different bodily injuries as they tried to escape from the attack of the rampaging machete brandishing touts in the area.

Briefing newsmen in Onitsha, Chief Enendu pointed that the members of RTEAN and EFDWA were determined to breach the order of the state government, thereby imposing compulsory revenue collection from commercial drivers.

He said: “Recently, RETEAN invaded the parks in Onitsha, using police to impose tout on us. Some of our members (park managers) were arrested and detained in a police station at Asaba.

“I called on government to ascertain if its consent was sought to what was going on, but government said it was not aware, that they only recognised Urban Welfare Drivers Association as the only authentic body before the ban on illegal collection.

“Let me also debunk the allegation leveled against me by the Deputy Chairman Operations of RTEAN, Mr. Onyeka Ezeani, saying I collected N4800 from commuters. It is not true.

“Even when we were collecting revenue, it was N150 or N200. You can verify this from commuters,” he added.

When contacted, the Chairman, Urban Drivers Association (UDWAS) Onitsha – Asaba Unit, Mr. Sunday Ogoegbunam, explained that those members of EFDWA were part of them, but they formed another group because they felt bad that the state government banned illegal collection.

Ogoegbunam said: “Since formation of EFDWA by aggrieved members of UDWAS, they have been fermenting troubles, especially Mr. Silas Igwe, Boniface Okonkwo and Osmond Okpe, who were part of our executives.

“The last time we had issues with them, government intervened but they were not satisfied with the decision of government. They sued us and we won them again.

“So they are doing everything possible to extort money from people and cause trouble in the state.

“We call on government to call them to order and possibly bring them to book, so that the peace of the state will be sustained.” Ogoegbunam added.

All efforts to contact the accused persons proved abortive as at the time of filling this report.