Fake report of tax protest in Enugu, handiwork of a desperate opposition – State government

The report in a section of the media today that bus drivers and keke riders protested in Enugu over so-called excess taxes or levies was totally false and malicious.

The protest had nothing to do with tax or fuel price increase, but to draw the attention of government to their desire to have spaces allocated to members inside the new terminal.

The   media to the governor, Hon Onyekwere Nwobodo,  said in a statement Wdnesday that they had complained that members were regularly violating, and contravened on the no-parking order around the Ogbete main market, making it necessary for the terminal managers to allocate them a designated space to park inside the facility.

It was obvious the rag-tag opposition in Enugu, for want of credible issue on which to campaign, deliberately misrepresented the situation on ground to their media hirelings who created the impression of discontent within Enugu, to score cheap political point.

It is no coincidence that this so-called protest which never happened since the three years of this administration and the friendly tax regime was taking place now that political campaigns were ongoing.

It was while leaders of the two groups were interfacing with the management of the terminal management inside the facility, that  opposition infiltrators hastily gave a convoluted account to gullible reporters, who ran off to file the fake accounts, quoting unknown persons  without bothering to verify from leaders of the drivers.

The attempted hijack and subsequent misrepresentation of today’s incident makes it expedient for Enugu citizens, going forward, who wish to ventilate genuine grievances on any matter or policy, to seek security clearance, to guarantee orderly procession, and avoid a repeat.

The statement gave credit to the police for ultimately forestalling misuse of the protest to cause a major breach of peace, as the weary, disjointed opposition in the state had planned.