ENUGU TRADERS, DRIVERS SHUT DOWN ROADS OVER TAXES AND RISING FUEL COSTS

Business activities and vehicular movement were disrupted in Enugu on Wednesday as hundreds of traders and commercial transport operators took to the streets to protest against what they described as excessive taxation and rising fuel prices. The protesters, including tricycle operators, minibus drivers and shop owners, blocked major areas around Ogbete Main Market, Old Park and the Holy Ghost axis.

The demonstration disrupted movement around the city’s central commercial district as traders and transport workers expressed concerns over the financial burden of daily levies and other charges. The protesters said the increasing cost of operating their businesses, combined with rising petrol prices, was making it increasingly difficult for them to remain profitable.

The protest came despite the state government’s position that its tax reforms were designed to simplify payments and eliminate multiple levies. The Executive Chairman of the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Ekene Nnamani, had said the state’s informal-sector internally generated revenue increased significantly following the introduction of a technology-driven system for consolidating levies.

According to the state government, the central e-ticket system costs traders N36,000 annually, while transport operators make consolidated daily payments. The government said the arrangement was introduced to eliminate illegal road tolls and multiple collections by different agencies and local government councils.

However, some transport operators at the protest gave a different account, alleging that their daily operational charges had risen from about N350 to N1,000 over the past 20 months. One commercial driver, Michael Chieze, said operators were also facing park fees and penalties for late payments while dealing with petrol prices reportedly reaching N1,450 per litre. Police officers and government representatives were deployed around the affected areas to engage the protesters and restore normal movement.