The Anambra State chapter of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) has issued a stern warning to the state government, threatening to halt all transport services if the heavy taxation imposed on its members is not reversed. The transport body expressed frustration over what it described as double taxation and harassment of its members by government authorities.
This threat was made public during a joint meeting held on Thursday in Awka, the state capital. The State Chairman of RTEAN, Ambassador Chinedu Nwabueze, who also serves as the Deputy State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), addressed journalists, lamenting the government's lack of response to their repeated pleas.
According to Nwabueze, the Anambra State government, through the State Board of Internal Revenue, has been unfairly taxing transporters, leading to the intimidation of drivers and even the deaths of some members due to the pressure and harsh conditions they face.
The state government has been double taxing us, harassing our members, and intimidating our drivers, which has, on several occasions, led to the death of our members, Nwabueze said.
He criticized the state’s policies on the transport sector, stating that key stakeholders, including RTEAN, were not consulted in their development. He revealed that the Anambra State Revenue Service has awarded contracts to private individuals and companies to collect levies and taxes on federal roads in the state, which he described as illegal and unconstitutional.
Nwabueze pointed out that an average tricycle driver in Anambra pays up to ₦96,000 annually in taxes, a sum that is far higher than what traders in major markets pay, with some paying less than ₦30,000 a year. He argued that such a heavy tax burden, especially on tricycle drivers, undermines efforts to alleviate poverty in the state.
We shall resist the government agents collecting levies and taxes on federal highways from our members, Nwabueze vowed. He further stated that while President Bola Tinubu had issued orders to stop the collection of levies and taxes on certain items, such as foodstuffs, these illegal fees are still being collected in Anambra.
The RTEAN chairman called on the president and the Inspector General of Police to empower the union to enforce the presidential directive on federal highways. He also urged the Anambra State government to convene a stakeholders’ meeting within the next two weeks to address the issue. Failing this, the union would be forced to shut down transport services or take other legitimate actions.
Nwabueze clarified that RTEAN is not opposed to the state government’s policies as a whole but is specifically against the harmful policies that undermine the welfare of transporters and, by extension, the people of Anambra.
The looming shutdown threatens to cripple transportation in Anambra, a vital service for daily commuters, traders, and other residents. Should the government fail to act, the shutdown could have widespread consequences on the state's economy and the livelihoods of thousands of people who depend on the transport sector.