Mr Tega Enakerakpo, Chairman of the POS Central Sub-Revenue Committee of Ethiope East Local Government, headquartered in Islokolo on Tuesday verbally assaulted a reporter of TheNewsGuru.com (TNG).
Our reporter had sought clarification, and provided Mr Enakerakpo the opportunity to address issues arising from an annual levy of N5,000 the council is aiming to collect from operators of POS across the LGA.
Operators of POS across the LGA had lamented the N5,000 levy, describing it as draconian, and an effort by the council to further increase the burden of the people.
“The council just wants us to suffer. How can they say we should pay N5,000 as levy for operating POS. How much is our gain. We cannot even make ends meet with the POS business. We just using it to get busy.
“There are other deductions accrue to us in operating POS. At the end of the day, it’s the people of the LGA that will suffer from it because we add it into the charges they will pay,” one of the POS operators in the LGA, who asked not to be named, told TNG.
TNG reports the Ethiope East Local Government council announced the N5,000 levy in a release on Tuesday, requesting POS operators across the LGA to comply within 27 days.
The release titled ‘Demand Notice on POS Operation’ was signed and released by Mr Enakerakpo, the Chairman of POS Central Sub-Revenue Committee Ethiope East Local Government, Islokolo.
A bank account the Ethiope East Central Sub-Revenue Committee operates with Zenith Bank was also attached with the release along with the contact phone number of Mr Enakerakpo.
The council also threatened legal action against POS operators who will fail to comply with the notice.
The release reads in part: “As part of the urgent need of Ethiope East Local Government Council to have a proper and approved P. O. S., operators in the Local Government Area, the Local Government has decided to notify you to pay your P. O. S., annual operational levy of Five Thousand Naira (N5,000.00) only.
“Take note, that you are requested within 27 days to make payment to the account stated below as failure to abide by this demand notice will attract serious legal action against you”.
When contacted, Mr Enakerakpo shouted, screaming on top of his voice, saying our reporter “should get out of his phone”. He directed our reporter to reach out to other LGAs that sundry and similar levies are also being collected.
After introducing himself, and the reason for the call, the committee chairman immediately cut in saying: “Bros, other committee dey for other local government. Make una no dey post nonsense wey una no know on Facebook. All the ones wey una dey do since, I dey see am. So, no dey call me to dey ask me. Anything wey dey your mind do. No be only Ethiope East dey charge POS levy. Abeg, get out from my phone”.