The Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), yesterday ordered that revenue being collected from tricycle (Keke Napep) operators should stop forthwith until government of Anambra State resolves the dispute over the collection system. MASSOB Administrator for Onitsha Zone 4, Mr. Arinze Igbani gave the order at a meeting held in his office with all the disputing factions in the revenue collection. Igbani said investigations carried out by his group revealed that Anambra State government had not renewed any revenue collection authority to any group, since the last authority expired in December 2011.
He noted with dismay that a group had continued to collect revenue from Keke Napep operators illegally without transferring the funds to the state government. According to him, those being exploited in the illegal revenue collection were mainly those who came back to Anambra State from the North as a result of activities of Boko Haram. He said Chief Ralph Uwazurike, the leader of MASSOB assisted the returnees by securing the tricycle on hire-purchased for them or by operating them for other people on commission basis.
Igbani also said several of the tricycles had been either partly or totally damaged by the warring groups. He said even as the illegal revenue collectors were carrying out their function, they were collecting more than what the state government approved initially. The MASSOB director said his organization would not fold its arms and watch unauthorized people to continue to exploit the people. “We were ordered to phase out criminals and what they are doing is criminal. We do not want anybody to be exploited or intimidated,” he said.
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