Dispatch riders in the Federal Capital Territory on Thursday protested in front of the FCTA Secretariat over multiple taxation.
The riders came out in their thousands, appealing to the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to intervene and stop the alleged extortion by various persons acting as agents of both the Area Council and the FCT Administration.
Speaking on behalf of the riders, Olawale Ilesanmi, said they have been complying with their tax obligations, paying multiple levies to the Abuja Municipal, Bwari, and Gwagwalada Area Councils.
He said the riders were paying N13,000 annually to the area councils, adding, however, that a new revenue collector had emerged, claiming they had to pay N25,000 to the FCT Administration.
According to him, many riders' motorcycles have been impounded, with the owners forced to pay the new fee before the release of their vehicles.
He explained that the protest was to say “no to multiple taxation” and to appeal to the FCT minister to put an end to the alleged unlawful taxes.
“We riders, we know that it’s our statutory obligation to pay tax, and we have been complying year in year out, paying to AMAC, paying to Bwari, and to Gwagwalada area councils," he said.
“But all of a sudden, another group of tax collectors emerged from nowhere with another demand in the name of FCT Administration, asking for higher tax compared with what we pay to AMAC.”
The spokesman added that the riders equally pay a N300 ticket each time they enter a market in Abuja.
“This means that when we enter the market 10 times in a day, we are bound to pay N300 10 times,” he said.
