Obinna Uchendu Abakaliki
The Chairman, Ezza South local government area of Ebonyi State, Mrs. Euphemia Nwali has distanced herself from an alleged claim by a Revenue Company, Anointed Supreme Allied Ltd, mandated to collect revenue for the State Government that thugs suspected to be working for the Chairman attacked his agents at the Eke Imoha market while discharging their duties.
Reacting to the allegation, Mrs. Nwali described the allegation as false and malicious and insisted that she does not have thugs, hire thugs, parade with thugs or have any knowledge of any clash by thugs in the popular market.
The Revenue company, Anointed Supreme Allied Ltd, had claimed that thugs suspected to be working for the council boss harassed and attacked their agents and stopped them from collecting revenue at Eke Imoha Market, allegedly authorized by the Ebonyi State Internal Revenue Board.
But Mrs. Nwali said, “You know me very well. I do not have thugs and do not hire thugs. If there is any issue, we have security agents. The Division and the Area Command are there. Why should I be hiring thugs. Thugs for what?
” There was no clash between thugs and agents in the market but if there was any clash, the incident would have been reported to me as the Chief Security Officer. There was no report of such.
“If there is any problem in the market between revenue agents i will know, but I don’t have such report. And if I have such report, I would have involve the security agents to resolve it. There is no problem in the market now.
“The report claimed that I used thugs to allegedly robbed and kidnapped his workers who came to collect tolls at Eke Imoha Market, and that I even threatened his life or other members of the company.
“The report further said that one company Zeenok Agro International Ltd bided for the same revenue point and that the company is owned by me. I have not bided for any revenue toll. l don’t even know the company called Zeenok Agro International Ltd.
“Ordinally I would have kept quiet because the report was false and malicious but in order to put the records straight for the avoidance of doubt, I have to respond to the falsehood.
“The Revenue Board is in charge of the internally generated revenue in Ebonyi State. So everything IGR is in the office of the Revenue Board. However the state and local government has an understanding and MoU.
“There is no way a company will enter a market if they are not authorized by the Board. The Board knows her agents. Any agents that enter anywhere to collect revenue must have authority letter from the Board.
“As Local government area chairman i dont have the right to collect IGR. If an agent collects IGR that does not mean that it is the chairman that is collecting it. My duty as a council chairman is to protect lives and properties and to make sure there is peace in my area and the market.
“I want to urge members of the public to disregard the report because it was written with almost motive to drag my name in the mud. I swore to protect lives and properties and to extend dividend of democracy to the people of Ezza South LGA not to get involved in hiring and parading with thugs.”, she said
