Ohanaeze Council Slams Enugu Governor Peter Mbah Over Multiple Taxation, Extortions
According to Ani, traders are being compelled to pay taxes on both their shops and homes, irrespective of the size or profitability of their businesses.
The Enugu State chapter of the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) has slammed the state Governor Peter Mbah for implementing what it described as “anti-people” policies that are crippling businesses and stifling the economic wellbeing of residents of the state.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, OYC State Chairman, Comrade David Ani, condemned what he described as a systematic pattern of multiple taxation and extortion targeting traders and residents across the state.
According to Ani, traders are being compelled to pay taxes on both their shops and homes, irrespective of the size or profitability of their businesses.
“From ESWAMA levies to land use charges, rent taxes and duplicative fees on properties, the people of Enugu are being suffocated under the weight of a tax regime that offers them nothing in return,” he said.
The youth council noted that despite these taxes, there is little to no evidence of infrastructural development or public service improvement in the state.
Instead, the OYC argued that Mbah’s administration is driving investors and entrepreneurs away.
“The government has failed to attract new industries or economic opportunities. Instead, it is pushing away those who had plans to return and invest in their homeland,” Ani stated, adding that such policies are not only anti-development but also anti-Igbo in nature.
In a particularly pointed allegation, the OYC claimed that the Mbah administration is being influenced by “external forces” with no ties to Enugu or the broader Igbo community.
“This government is being run by forces alien to our values and welfare. Their goal seems to be the economic displacement of our people,” Ani alleged.
The OYC also revealed that its internal intelligence unit is monitoring the activities of the state government and plans to expose what it described as “secret dealings” in the near future.
“We have eyes everywhere,” Ani warned. “Soon, the people of Enugu will know the truth behind these policies and who they truly serve.”
Calling on residents to resist what it termed “oppressive policies,” the OYC urged the people of the state to demand accountability, transparency, and better governance.
