Magnus Eze, Enugu

Poultry farmers said that over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs in the state were being threatened by multiple taxation and other harsh conditions imposed on them.

They said such actions, particularly by Enugu East Local Government Area and its agents, had forced some of them to relocate from the area while others were on the verge of closing their businesses.

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The Enugu State Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Onu Izuolisa, who spoke at the Government House, Enugu, during a protest, catalogued their challenges.

‘It’s painful to note that while poultry farmers were grappling with the huge negative impact of the lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, we had agencies of Government and individuals in the name of local government especially the Enugu East LG storming our farms to harass and demand several legal levies and taxes. They break and destroy the biosecurity of our farms, threaten and harass farm workers and owners and impound important farm equipment needed for daily operations. This has resulted in a number of mortalities in farms and total disruption of our production.

‘We are making a passionate appeal to our Governor, His Excellency, Rt Hon Dr Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, to as a matter of urgency come to our rescue in putting an immediate stop to this illegal activity,’ he said.