WIKE VOWS TO CRACK DOWN ON FCT TOUTS HARASSING MOTORISTS OVER LEVIES

During the Ministerial Sectoral briefing on the performance of President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the past year, held in Abuja on Thursday, Wike assured that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration had reached an agreement with all the Area Council Chairmen. This agreement empowers the FCT Internal Revenue Service to handle all revenue collections within the territory.

Wike elaborated that the collected revenues would be shared with the area councils. He emphasized that this centralized approach would bring more orderliness to the revenue collection process, stating, “This is the only way we can ensure decency in revenue collection in the territory. It will reduce touting, harassment, and double taxation. According to the law, the area councils are entitled to 10 percent of the FCT’s internally generated revenue (IGR).”

He acknowledged the challenges in maintaining order in a bustling city, where survival instincts can lead to rogue behaviors. “One of the things in a city is that everybody wants to survive. So, you find some of these elements from time to time. But bear it in mind that it is part of our responsibility. We are going to rid them off, but it cannot be done immediately,” the minister remarked.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that motorists in the FCT had been experiencing harassment from touts claiming to be part of a ministerial task force against illegal parking, or posing as revenue collectors from the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). These touts often forcibly entered private vehicles and removed the car keys from the ignition under the pretense of enforcing regulations against illegal parking or other alleged infractions.

Source: Pulse

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