…Motorists Lament Highhandedness, Harassment, Corruption Amongst Task Force
Residents of Ughelli Metropolis and vehicle owners has lamented the activities of some men who claimed to be officials of the Delta state revenue board, barricading major roads, applying force and using the police to extort the public on daily basis in Ughelli.
A secondary school teacher, who was rushing her daughter to the hospital for treatment on Thursday, narrated how the said officials of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue taskforce extorted N35, 000 from her without issuing her a receipts.
The teacher, (name withheld ) attached to a secondary in Ughelli metropolis was flagged down by the task force led by one Samson Igho as chairman along the Isoko road by Oharisi primary school.
According to the teacher, “I was rushing my daughter to Ufor hospital for an emergency when they stopped me and demanded for my drivers licence, and I explained to them that my drivers license was in my bag at school, but they insisted that I cannot leave except I provide it.
“But life first, i have to abandoned the car since all explanations fell deaf ear and carry my daughter on an okada (motorcycle) and leave for the hospital hoping to meet them when I returned, but to my surprise, before I returned from the hospital, they drove my car without minding if i have important valuables in the vehicle. They drove the car to a place they called their office.
“When I got to the place located at the premises of the VIO and DESTMA, in Ughelli just opposite Obukowho Demonstration school, they told me that my offence for driving without my license was N35,000. I then demanded for a government account where I could pay the money, but they refused and demanded for cash payment.
“They directed that i should go to a a PoS, were i withdrew the sum of N35,000 and pay cash to them. I requested for a receipt but they said they don’t issue receipt.
“One of them said to me in a very rude manner that, after a week if I am caught driving without my drivers license , my car will still be impounded and i will be made to pay same amount”.
However, when contacted the task force chairman, Mr. Samson Igho, first denied the allegations, saying, ‘I am on the road and my people cannot do such thing as all of them are parents and cannot do such to someone taking her daughter to the hospital nor will they charge such amount from someone because of drivers license’.
Continuing, Mr. Samson Igho said, ” this is not what we can discuss on the phone, we need to see and talk. I am in a noisy place and beside I don’t live in Ughelli”.
Further investigation reveals that the Revenue Task Force that often harassed and embarrassed motorists on daily basis along the Isoko road, are under the Delta State Revenue Board and often cajoled motorists to make it look like they are working for the governments as they are always on a T-shirt with the inscription ‘Pay Your Tax’.
They demand for driver license, road worthiness, hackney carriage, vehicle licenses as well as insurance papers. Often, they forcefully evict car owners out of their vehicles with the support of a particular team of policemen who gave them back up.
In a chat with the Delta state PPRO of the Delta state police command sometime ago, he said, no policeman is authorized to join hand with any revenue collector or task force in the state.
Their modus operandi in Ughelli is barricading the road with tyres, and causing traffic with the aim of extorting the public of huge sum.
On daily basis they demand for vehicle particulars and even demand for fire extinguisher, caution sign and as far to jack and wheel spanners. This has left the public wondering whose duty it is to check vehicle particulars, the FRSC or the VIO.
An official of Delta State Revenue Board who spoke this medium on condition of anonymity said, It is the right of the suppose offender to be issued a receipt if truly they are working for government and such money was suppose to be paid into government account and not collecting cash.
“They have to refund the money to the teacher since it was not paid into government purse and no receipt issued. They are bad elements that want to destroy the image of the Delta State government.
“Any fine at all if legally collected ought to have been paid into government account, and a receipt issued. Most of them are acting illegally and have also gone beyond their limits and scope”.
Efforts to reach the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Chairman, Hon. Solomon Ighrakpata was not successful as calls to his mobile line were not responded to and not returned as at the time of filing this report.
Motorists are calling on the Chairman of the Delta state board of internal revenue, the Delta state government, the Commissioner of Police and relevant authority to as a matter of urgency put a stop or review the activities of these men who have taken over the duties of the FRSC, VIO with the aid of the police.