A total of 25 suspected fake revenue officers have been apprehended in Ebonyi State.
The State Commissioner for Transport and Special Projects, Collins Igboke made this known during an interview with journalists at his office in Abakaliki.
Igboke disclosed that the arrested suspects were recently involved in illegal collection of tolls from motorists across the state.
He revealed that the arrest was part of the state government’s broader efforts to address the issue of double taxation that has plagued motorists in the state.
“The government is trying to reduce the double taxation that motorists are passing through. We are working hard to make sure there is peace in the transport sector and for the people to have trust in what the current administration is doing,” he stated.
The Commissioner further explained that his office has taken proactive steps to identify and eliminate illegal toll collections.
“We went to the Board of Internal Revenue to furnish our office with the list of contractors awarded transport-related contracts. We then called a meeting with all contractors and local government representatives, ordering that any contractor involved in transport should register with us. The ministry was able to identify nearly 27 illegal toll collection points.
“Some of them we have arrested have been charged to court for prosecution. For those who have genuine contract with government, we will also look at the revenue chart to know if what they are collecting tallies with what the revenue generation white paper is saying. For now, we have gained confidence of the transporters; they are happy with the way we are going,” he added.
When asked about the potential introduction of electronic payment systems for Internally Generated Revenue by motorists, the Commissioner stated that the decision would rest with the Ministry of Finance.
He appealed to the public to be law abiding in obeying the traffic regulations in the capital city and to continue supporting the Governor Nwifuru’s led administration for more progressive Ebonyi State.
