Edo traders protest excessive taxation

Some traders under the aegis of Coalition of Traders and Artisans in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo, on Wednesday marched to Edo Government House, Benin to protest alleged excessive taxation by Oredo Local Government Council.

The protesters carried placards with different inscriptions such as: “APC why,” “Don’t imposed levies on us,” “Oredo tax from N3, 000 to N50, 000,” and “We no go pay.’’

The spokesman of the group, Mr Sunday Ogbonnaya, said that they were variously paying N3, 000, N4, 000 and N5, 000 annually before now.

According to him, “Officials of Oredo Council with a demand notice to us that henceforth we shall be paying our yearly levy of between N50, 000 and N100, 000 as against N3, 000, N4, 000 and N5, 000 respectively.

“We are appealing to you to make use of your good office to prevail on the local government to as a matter of urgency withdraw the outrageous levies given to us.

“We are law abiding citizens, as we always cooperate with the government in terms of paying our taxes regularly,” he said.

Addressing the aggrieved traders, Gov. Godwin Obaseki, who was represented by his deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu, said that he was happy the peaceful way and manner they composed themselves.

Obaseki, however, said that the leadership of the traders and that of the council would have a meeting with him on Monday to resolve the issues they raised