
By Ijendu Iheaka
The Abia Government on Saturday promised the Association of Table Water Producers that its members would no longer be extorted and harassed while doing business in the state.
Chief John Okiyi-Kalu, the state Commissioner for Trade and Investment, gave the assurance in Aba, at a meeting with the association.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that table water producers in the state had gone on strike on Thursday in Aba, citing harassment and extortion by government revenue agents.
The strike resulted in scarcity of the commodity in the city and a hike in price of between N150 and N200 to N300 a bag.
Okiyi-Kalu said that the state government had entered into an agreement with the association to give members favourable environment for their businesses to thrive.
“The government will do everything to ensure the traders are not extorted any further,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the government would consolidate what the members paid and make the payment system annual to close all doors to tax-related extortion even from local governments.
He noted that the government was determined to support Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the best way possible because they were crucial to the state’s economic agenda.
He noted that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration had long outlawed touts in Abia and would not support illegal persons oppressing residents, traders and transporters.
He vowed that the government would ensure that the law against touts was enforced to stop violators who moved about to extort people.
Mr. Ejikeme Uzoma, the State Chairman, Association of Table Water Producers said that they had itemised their challenges, including touts and taxes to the government.
“The association and the government agreed that a memo should be prepared through the commissioner to the governor, to enable government to attend to our needs adequately.
“The withdrawal of their products from the streets is to protest Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency which arbitrarily levied the producers on advertising and signage which they were not involved in.
“Members of the association have not placed any signposts anywhere as a form of advert to warrant such levies from the agency,’’ he said.
Uzoma, however, said that members of the association were carrying out maintenance of their equipment expected to last for about three days.
He added that with huge cost of production, after the maintenance, members of the association would increase the price of products to N250 per bag.