By Omenyi Egbuna
Tension is building up in Anambra State as Joint Transporters Forum of Anambra State (JTF), comprising drivers of different vehicles, including motorcycles, tricycles, small and shuttle buses have petitioned the State Assembly over alleged revenue diversion and other sharp practices involving some government officials.
The petition, which is already causing tension here and there, was addressed to the Speaker, Anambra State House of Assembly, and dated August 4th, but was entitled petition against Dr Greg Ezeilo (AG Chairman AIRS) and A V.M Ben Chiobi (RTD) State Coordinator ANJET and others.
The Statement signed by Comrade Moses Ohanebo, the President JTF and the Assistant Secretary JTF, Comrade Innocent Obagha, claimed that some government appointees have reconstituted ANJET which was recently banned by governor Chukwuma Soludo, and are allegedly using them to extort and divert government revenues as against the purposes behind their previous formations.
The group also alleged that the ANJET and others were being used by revenue racketeers to launch attacks on their members, detain and inflict pains on them, hereby adversely affecting the welfare of their members.
It reads, "we write to officially inform you of the unfortunate activities going on in the state as as it concerns threat to lives and revenue generation. It is our interest to save the state from insurrection, revenue and thieves in the high places hence we state as follows:
"We are members of Joint Transporters Eorum Anambra State; Joint Transporters
Forum comprises of leaders and members of registered Motorcycle Tranşpot Union,
Registered Tricycle Union, Registered Taxi Association, Registered United Mini-truck
Association, Registered Urban Bus Drivers Association and Registered Heavy Duty
Vehicles Association thạt agreed to synergize together for security menace.
"That we are aware of Governor Soludo's new digital revenue collections and we
are in full support of the innovation. That we are also aware that two outfits were involved in the enlorcement of this
digital collections. These outfits are Ocha Brigade and ANJET. That these two outfits suddenly deviated from their terms of references and engaged into all manner of criminalities and social vices particularly ANJET which include Increasing penalties from N5,000 and N10,000 respectively for Keke.
"and buses to between N15,000 to N30,000, Arresting, detaining and extorting drivers of private buses to the tune of
between N30,000 to N50,000 depending on the situation, Arresting and unlawfully detaining drivers who refuse to pay them such high penalties in a black Maria Stationed at one of the leisure garden at Upper lweka where ANJET have their office, and Collection of the sum of N100,000 as bail fee from each of the detained persons in the black Maria," the stated.
They also alleged that "officers of ANJET and the few from Ocha Brigade have
started invading us again in the same manner they used to do hence the need for
this protest letter as we have also drawn the attention of the commissioner of police and Director of DSS as well as Mr. Governor to this ugly trend."
They called on the State House of Assembly to quickly intervene into the matter to avoid possible breakdown of law
and order and "such pillage of the state revenue."
When contacted, the Director in charge of Operations, AIRS, Dr Christian Madubuko, said he was not part of the reconstitution of ANJET but it was done by the Acting CHAIRMAN of AIRS.
"The old ANJET disbanded were brought together and changed their uniform as old wine in new skin. I am not part of it, and I will never support it. They are not genuinely recruited by the AIRS. I don't know them, I heard they were reconstituted by the Acting CHAIRMAN, and my opinion was not sought, and even when I gave them my word, they did not take it," he noted.