The Enugu State government has said the tipper drivers that protested increased levies on them by the state government were ‘fake’.
The tipper drivers, Nsukka chapter, had protested state government’s increase of their per-trip-of-sand levy of N500 to N1,000.
Recall that the state government, in a bid to increase its internally generated revenue, initiated many taxes, including N200 levy upon every market trader in the state.
The state, through its commissioner for information, Aka Eze Aka, urged residents to disregard the protest by the tipper drivers at Nsukka.
Aka claimed that the government had confirmed that the protest was masterminded by the opposition whose goal is to tarnish efforts of government in making the state a preferred investment destination.
Calling the protesters as ‘fake tipper drivers’, the commissioner said the leadership of the Tipper Drivers and Owners Association of Nigeria (TDOAN), Enugu Chapter, was aware of the minor adjustment in the daily fees being paid by their members.
He said TDOAN, through its leadership in the state, stated that there was no reason for any protest apart from the purpose of attempting to tarnish the image of the union, adding that despite the increment, Enugu still charges the lowest fee when compared to the neighbouring Ebonyi and Anambra states that charge N8,000 and N3,500 respectfully.
Quoting him, “The group warned miscreants being used by opposition politicians to destabilize the peace which Governor Peter Mbah has brought, to desist from it.
“They equally restated their resolve to align themselves to the policies of the Mbah-led administration and its developmental trajectories.”
