A coalition of 18 trade unions at the Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, has protested against the alleged imposition of illegal levies on traders by the Iyaloja General, Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.
The protest, which started last Monday, has seen the the market shut pending the resolution of the issues.
It was also gathered that the Iyaloja and Babaloja allegedly imposed on the traders in June 2019 by Tinubu-Ojo introduced new levies.
The spokesperson for the coalition of trade unions in Computer Village, Nonso Bethel, said some hoodlums working for the new leaders, started charging outrageous sums.
“For instance, as a stall owner, if you take delivery of goods from the airport and you are bringing them into the market, the touts will collect N500 from the porter carrying them for you. If the goods are in your car, you will pay N2,000. But if you used a truck, they will collect N5,000,” he added.
Bethel said the traders endured the charges until the traders were asked to start paying N50 every day.
He said when they rejected this, they were mandated to pay N1,000 every month.
“Outside of this, we pay income tax, corporate tax, VAT and local government permits. So, we don’t know the constitutional authority that the Iyaloja has to be collecting N12,000 every year from shop owners. Those who sell by the roadside, they charge them between N1,000 and N1,500 on a daily basis,” he said.
According to a report in PUNCH newspaper, things got to a head when a gate erected for security in the market was pulled down because there was no permission from the new Iyaloja.
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Let Iyaloja and Babaloja carefully look into the legalities of their tarrifs and carefully agree with the local government authority to agree on levies belonging to either side.
The worrisome issue is that multiple taxation in a sick economy like this is never business friendly and can bring disharmony between how we relate with the market and the people.
Also, the use of hoodlum to raise tax is barbaric and uncivilised, a thing that must stop immediately. Naturally, continued use of hoodlum can generate a counter resistance which may snowball into breaking down of law and order. Raise a taxforce, operate with a department of Nigeria Police to collect your levies after it may have been discussed and agreed with the trade unions. Anything contrary to this approach can only be translated as violation of people’s right; and with such a friction, heat generation cannot be avoided.