The Government of Enugu State has called on residents to disregard purported protest by some tipper drivers in Nsukka over the N1,000-per-trip-of-sand levy imposed by the state government.
This is contained in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Enugu by Aka Eze Aka, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications.
NAN reports that some tipper drivers on Thursday took to Nsukka streets in protest over what they described as the state government’s increase of the daily fees charged to them on each trip from N500 to N1,000.
The Commissioner said the government had confirmed that the purported protest was cooked up by unscrupulous elements, who were in the habit of tarnishing efforts of the government in making the state a preferred investment destination.
Aka, who described the protesters as fake tipper drivers, said the leadership of the Tipper Drivers and Owners Association of Nigeria (TDOAN), Enugu Chapter, was aware of the minor adjustment in the daily fees being paid by their members.
He emphasized that the little increase was part of the efforts of the current government to boost the revenue of the state.
Consequently, he disclosed that TDOAN, through its leadership in the state, explained that there was no reason for any protest apart from the purpose of attempting to tarnish the image of the union.
The commissioner said in spite of the increment, Enugu still charges the lowest fee when compared to the neighboring Ebonyi and Anambra States that charge N8,000 and N3,500 respectively.
“The group warned miscreants being used by opposition politicians to destabilize the peace, which Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, has brought, to desist from it.
“They equally restated their resolve to align themselves to the policies of the Mbah-led administration and its developmental trajectories,” Aka quoted the TDOAN leadership as saying.
