Rivers Farmers Decry Extortion On Highways

Rural farmers in Rivers State have frowned at the rate of multiple taxation collected from them on the Federal Highways while moving their produce across the state.
Some of the farmers who spoke to The Tide recently, explained that the development was capable of creating bad blood between such officials and them.
One of the farmers from Etche, Mrs Ngozi Oke, said as subsistence farmers, the unnecessary taxes  and levies collected from them was discouraging and uncalled for.
Another farmer from Emohua, Mr Justice Alerunwo, who majors on plantains and banana recalled how he was negatively affected by such levies.
However, the Rivers State Director of the Federal Joint Enforcement Against Multiple Taxes and Levies, on highways, Mr Sunny Okpara, in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt, confirmed that the illegal collections were capable of stifling the sources of livelihood of the peasant farmers. He said the farmers should be given a free hand in their efforts to feed the nation.
“We have met with the internal revenue board chairman in the state to stop issuing letters to people using the federal roads, because such taxes are illegal.
“We have also appealed to motorists to stop paying such taxes,” he said.
Okpara further asked farmers to resist such illegal tax payments, and do well to report cases to the security agencies for proper action.
He further declared that the agency was making efforts to clear touting on the highways.