EMELAM UDO, UMUAHIA.
The Aba Landlords Protection and Development Association ALPADA, has decried the current arrangement of the Abia state Board of Internal Revenue, which promotes multiple taxation, lack of transparency, and undue harassment of obedient tax payers, while shielding and celebrating tax/rent defaulters which is not good for the citizens of the state.
ALPADA therefore urged the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu to as a matter of urgency prevail on the Board to streamline, and realign its operations in line with global best practices.
Alphonsus E. Udeigbo stated this in Aba while speaking after receiving a leadership Award, as the Leadership Icon for the year 2021, conferred on him by from Abia based All Facts Newspaper.
The President General of the Association frowned at the operations of the state Revenue Board, where members who are up to date in the payment of their property rates are daily harassed, while defaulters, who neither pay taxes and rates are walking on the streets daily freely without being molested.
He noted that the system was not only unjust, but highly discouraging to those who pay, and appealed to the Governor to help his members out by ensuring that they are not daily harassed by the Board for non- payment when actually they have paid.
“Our members are presently being maltreated and harassed by the Board of internal Revenue.
There are many instances where our members who are up to date in the payment of their rates and taxes are having their property sealed, Udeigbo fumed, and urged the Governor to intervene.
“What we are having in place now as far as the operation of the Board of internal Revenue is concerned is a situation whereby those our members who are up to date in the payment of their property rates are daily being harassed, while those who I personally know that have not paid their taxes/rates in the last few years are working on the streets free”, he pointed out.
He also used that opportunity to laud the performances of the Governor, but urged him to closely monitor and ensure that the contractors who are handling construction works in the state deliver good, quality roads that would stand the test of time.
While the president General was conferred with the Leadership Icon of the year 2021 Award, the Association itself was awarded as the most Humanitarian LANDLORDS Association of the year 2021.
According Udeigbo, most of the roads reconstructed in the past almost collapsed immediately due to poor quality jobs by the Contractors.
.”What we are saying is that most of the roads reconstructed even in two, three years have been washed away due to poor quality, while some of the roads constructed by Azikiwe many years ago are still there.
“The roads constructed by Ngige in Anambra state 16 years ago are still intact. This is because of their high quality so we are urging the Governor to ensure that the contractors deliver good and quality roads that will stand the test of time.” Udeigbo advised.
