From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Goat Butchers Association of Nigeria, Edo State chapter, yesterday, protested the extortion and high taxes by unauthorized government officials in the various markets where they ply their trades in the state.
The group in their numbers, drawn from the various markets in the state, marched to the government house to register their grievances.
Addressing newsmen during the protest in Benin, President, Traders Welfare Union of Nigeria, Lucky Orukpe, said members of the union are finding it difficult to remain in business due to high level of extortions and taxes.
He said the unauthorized persons are masquerading themselves as government tax officials whereas the money being collected doesn’t go into the government’s coffers.
“We have been in the struggle against illegal unions, illegal taxes, multiple ticketing, extortions in our markets. That is why we are protesting today.
“We are Goats Butchers in our markets. Of recent, a set of people sat down to agree that the butchers should be paying N500 each to them without putting or inviting the traders to the meeting. We felt this is an extortion and injustice.
“That is why we have been agitating and by the grace of God, for the past four days now, they have reduced it from N500 to N300, from N300 to N150.
“We are not saying we will not pay taxes, the traders are ready to pay but if you want to buy this same goat as a butcher, from that point, we have another people that are collecting N100 without the issuance of ticket, that money is not for government.
“When you pay that money, you move forward, you want to put your goat inside the motor, we have another set of people that we collect other money from you and the call such ladder at Aduwawa cattle market.
“Why we are protesting, is that we want the government to set up a committee to put a stop to such illegal taxes because it is really telling on the members of the association”, he said.
One of the traders, Mallam Zaki Nuhu who has been in the business for 25 years now, appealed to the state government to come to their rescue and put an end to the extortions in the various markets so that they could make profit in their business.
Another trader, who identified herself as Mrs. Amowie, called on the government to build an abattoir for the union just as she called for the introduction of the Point of Sales (POS) machine by the government in the markets so as to block all leakages and the full money being deposited into government’s coffers.
Caption: Members of the association protesting on the streets of Benin City, yesterday.