By Kenneth Onuoha
365Daily – Abakiliki rice millers in Ebonyi State on Monday took to the major roads to protest what they described as multiple taxation by the management, leading to the closure of the market.
They also lamented alleged extortions of traders by the management of the market, calling on government to find a lasting solution.
The protesters held placards with inscriptions such as, “Management should not take rice mill as their father’s business,” “We are tired of the multiple and high taxes.,” “We need an elected chairman and not Caretaker Committee to move development forward in the mill.”
Other are: “No milling unless our problems are solved”, “Traders in the rice mill are suffering,” “We want our customers back,” among others.
Speaking with journalists in Abakaliki, Mr Chukwuma Eniokoro, Chairman of Millers in the Market, said they embarked on the peaceful protest to call the government’s attention to the need to reduce the increased taxation in the rice mill market.
“This is our first time of seeing a lot of abnormalities in the area of tax and revenue in this market. Our monthly payment for revenue was N500, 000 before but now increased to N3.5 million.
“Cost of empty rice bags have increased; 25kg bag sold between N150 and N200 in now N300, while 50kg that was N300 now goes for N500. Others charges such as gate fees have also increased and this is driving away our customers.
“We cannot cope anymore, we have endured suffering and smiling for so long and we want it to stop,” Eniokoro stated.
Mr Obinna Irem, a miller owner, also decried the multiple taxation and extortion from the management of the mill market.
“Our stand now, is no more milling until our problems are solved. The market is already closed, no rice milling, though all our customers have diverted to other markets in the North,” Irem said.
Reacting to the development, Mr Samuel Ogodo, Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Rice Mill, said the protest was a welcome development but described some of the allegation on high cost of taxation as untrue.
Mr Ikechukwu Eze, Special Adviser to Governor David Umahi on Internal Security, in his part, said the state government was committed to the development of rice farming in the state.
“We have heard all your demanding and I am here to take your messages which I am going to submit to the state government.
“The government has asked me to tell you to embrace peace and with peace, we can achieve more progress.
“I want you to meet within yourselves and appoint some persons that can come for a meeting with the state Commissioner for Internal Security, Mr Stanley Okoro-Emegha,” Eze stated.