17th April, 2018
Dr. Christian Madubuko, Commissioner for Trade, Commerce, Markets and Wealth Creation in Anambra has suspended revenue collection indefinitely in all the 63 markets in the state .
Madubuko told newsmen in Awka on Tuesday that the decision was based on information of alleged diversion of government revenue by some market leaders.
The commissioner said that such action had denied government one of its major sources of revenue.
He noted that the revenue diversion was said to have been going on for the past 12 years, but was at its peak during the period of November, 2017 governorship election in the state.
He said that during the campaign in the state, many market leaders had a field day apparently due to lack of proper supervision.
Madubuko said that the ugly trend must be checked so as to return sanity in the markets.
“Government is not taking kindly any form of corruption in our markets any longer as sanity must be gained.
The commissioner disclosed that the Department of State Service, (DSS) was invited into the allegations of revenue diversion and some arrests were made including the chairman of Uga Market in Aguata Local Government Area, Mr. Victor Ezeibekwe.
The commissioner said that while the investigation was ongoing the state government had to suspend revenue collection in all the markets indefinitely.
“We are having challenges in some of our markets. Some people collect money from traders and refuse to remit such monies into government coffers.
“There was a standing instruction that once they collect money, such monies should be paid into the bank and then come to the ministry with the bank teller, which is the normal thing to do.
“But the reverse has been the case here,” he said.
Madubuko alleged that Ezeibekwe adopted a strategy whereby he issued fake receipts to unsuspecting traders.
He said that the outcome of the DSS investigation would be made open and solutions would be proffered to seal up the leakages.
The commissioner however, urged all revenue collectors in the market to come forward for verification.
“We want to ascertain those authorised to collect government revenues in our markets and not all manner of people collecting money from all angles.
“Government will deal ruthlessly with anybody involved in the fraud because it is the money generated from the market that it uses for development of the state,” he said.
The commissioner urged the people of the state not to frustrate government means of generating revenues but should support its developmental goals by doing the right thing.
However, Ezeibekwe denied the alleged diversion of state revenue adding that he bought the receipt booklets because traders refused to pay if they were not given receipts.
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According to him, in 2017, when the government called us to come and get authority for the collection of business revenue premises, we were asked to collect and pay same into the bank.
“But the traders refused to pay without issuance of receipts from collectors so we decided to print receipt booklets and used them to collect money.
Ezeibekwe said that they did not pay in 2017 revenue because the director of markets in the ministry, Mrs Ebo Nwosu directed no payment till after the governorship election.
In her remarks, Nwosu said that since she assumed office in 2017, many market leaders had defaulted in paying revenue generated to banks.
She said: “What we use is Integrated Pay Direct System, which all market leaders have been intimated with. We do not collect cash and nobody is permitted to collect cash in any way.
“Market leaders are not permitted to withhold any cash, but to pay into the bank once they collect from traders and present the teller to us.
“However, many market leaders have been complaining that some traders are reluctant to pay and are asking for more time.
“The governor had held a meeting with the market leaders on the need to be remitting government revenues appropriately.
“I am happy that the present commissioner is handling the issue with dispatch and we believe his action will help to improve government revenue,” Nwosu said.