By Cajetan Muta
The Anambra chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), said on Friday that it has taken over the collection of the Local Government (LG) revenue windows in the state.
President of the NULGE in the state, Comrade Chikwelu Adigwe, stated this during a rally and news conference held in Awka, the state capital.
Adigwe said that the development became necessary following the poor and fraudulent way of contracting and collecting LG revenue windows by some agents of the state. government.
He said that the revenue collections had rendered both the administrative and financial structure of the LG system bankrupt, nonfunctional, and dilapidated.
According to him, the fraudulent collection of revenue in the state is contrary to the provisions of Schedule four (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
The President said at the request of the state government, the LG gave consent to the state government to collect some revenue windows and share at a percentage ratio between the two tiers of government.
He highlighted the revenue windows to include market stall fees, property rate, environmental sanitation levy, motor vehicle emblem, open-air advertisement fee, motor park tolls, and others.
“Since this arrangement which spans over a decade, the state government did not live up to the agreement of remitting the LG share of the collected revenue.
“The state government abused this privilege and even emasculated the LG of over 80 percent of her revenue windows outside the ones on the agreed list.
“The big surprise is that the state government levy exorbitant fees over and above what is obtained in the revenue tariffs of the LGs, and residents are paying with no corresponding benefits.
“Liquor Licence cost N3, 500 per annum but the state government revenue agents charge N10,000. With all these financial emasculations, the LG can no longer perform basic duties effectively and efficiently,” he said.
Adigwe said that revenue windows of the LG as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and the Anambra State Laws of 2005 had been taken over by the bonafide custodians -the LGs
“NULGE Anambra hereby terminate all previous agreement with the state government on revenue collections on grounds of abysmal failure on the part of the state
“Arbitrary levying of fees and licenses to the public without appropriate legislation by the state House of Assembly are hereby illegal according to the law.
“We urge the public to stop paying fees, levies, and dues accruable to the LGs to the state government or face prosecution, ” he said.
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Also speaking, Mr. Augustine Nwafor, Vice President, NULGE Anambra, said the non- conduct of LG election in the state was contributing to the inefficiency of the system.
He urged the governor-elect, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo to conduct LG election within six months of his administration as it would help standardize the LG councils in the state
