From Ben Dunno, Warri
Piqued by multiple taxation imposed on the operations of its members by Delta state government, Haulage Truck Drivers in Warri have embarked on a peaceful protest over the introduction of a daily tickets levy of between N1000 to N5000 on its already overburdened taxes regime in the state.
The aggrieved placards carrying protesters who gathered at their office complex around Estate area in Warri South Local Government area, yesterday, chanted solidarity songs all through the period of the protest and urging the state government to rescind its decision on the additional tax burden of its members.
Some of the placards read this: “Union Base, We Say No to Daily Haulage tickets”; Union Base-Enough is Enough of Multiple Tickets; We can’t cope again”, Additional tax burden killing our business gradually”, among others.
One of the leaders of the protesting haulage drivers, who identified himself as Comrade Davis Ovedue, disclosed that the haulage drivers had been buying all the necessary tickets with Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and local governments approved tickets until a last week when a new ticket was introduced by the state government.
He noted that the new haulage tickets was at variance with the annual haulage stickers their members purchased noting that they were opposed to the new daily tickets which ranged from N1000 to N5000 depending on the size of the trucks.
The Manager, Union Base International, Innocent Victor stated that their members in Lagos State were already avoiding haulage to Delta State because of incessant introduction of strange tickets which were never in their budget before leaving for the state.
He said they were not against purchase of legitimate tickets but we’re against introduction of new ones which were already paid for in the purchase of haulage stickers.
According to him; “We buy haulage stickers annually. Why the introduction of daily stickers again. We cannot afford this and the concerned authorities should look into the matter”.
Another protester, Godwin Asema said as law abiding citizens, they knew it was their civic responsibility to buy tickets and they have been buying but they were against the daily haulage tickets because the annual haulage sticker covers that.
“Just recently, another tickets were introduced to us which we are supposed to be buying on daily basis. We know the harsh economic situation in the country now, that’s why we are opposing it.
“It is the daily haulage tickets we are refusing. We are not saying we don’t want to buy tickets. We have been buying but it is the daily haulage tickets coming now is what we are opposing”, he said.
Asema urged Delta State Governor, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori to urgently look into the matter and help them from those trying to use the state extort money from them under the guise of selling tickets.