Any moment from now, Imo State government would be embarking on an official accreditation of all revenue agents and taskforce members working in the State.
This was sequel to an outcry on illegal revenue collection across the 27 Council Areas of Imo.
The move against the suspected fake and dubious collection was irked by the motion chiefly moved by the honorable member representing Aboh Mbaise State constituency in the Imo Assembly, Hon. Chief Eddy Obinna, seconded by Hon Uju Onwudiwe, yesterday in the plenary session.
Leading the debate, Eddy Obinna described it as a well thought out motion aimed at checkmating the excesses of the collectors.
He disclosed that due to such illegal exercise, the poor masses are at the receiving end, and thereby suffer hugely to pay for what the government does not know anything about.
Hon Obinna stated that when implemented, only officially accredited agents would be on the streets for revenue drive, and not to sabotage the efforts of the Hope Uzodinma led administration.
Part of the prayers read, “Whereas some group of brigands, hoodlums, even yahoos have banded themselves together, in the name of taskforce workers, or agents, operating in the State for personal aggrandizement or working for their nefarious masters for a recompense”.
“Observing that these unorthodox group of people give the government bad name as they are deployed by the government for revenue collection, while they are either self-servicing or agents in mission engaged by the enemies of the government to smudge or malign the good name of the government functionaries of this regime”.
Not only that, the Aboh Mbaise lawmaker accused the culprits of intimidation at the cause of carrying out their dubious revenue collection.
Similarly, Ochiudo revealed that through that means, government is deprived of huge amount of revenue that should have been paid into government coffers.
Contributing, Honorables; Uju Onwudiwe and Kennedy Ibeh opined that the motion would redeem the image of the State government, adding that wearing of aprons alone doesn’t make one a revenue collector.
However, the House resolved to urge the governor to direct all government institutions, MDAs, organized private sectors doing business with the State government that works with agents and taskforces to have them accredited by the government on payment of accreditation fees.
It was also resolved that such government institutions be issued identification cards.
Similarly, the State Assembly urged the governor to direct law enforcement agencies in the State, in collaboration with the government institutions and MDAs to arrest and prosecute all unaccredited taskforce workers and agents caught as touts with the relevant extant laws.
