BY NATIONAL PANEL REPORTERS
Dr. Richard Nnabu.
The Commissioner for Environment, Grants and Donor Agencies, Dr. Richard Nnabu, is in receipt of barrages of calls and queries alleging –suspected criminal elements masquerading as revenue collectors have, recently been going from house to house within and outside the Abakaliki capital city demanding residents to pay a certain amount of money as service charge for refuse and waste evacuation.
However, the Commissioner in a release by his Media Aide, Collins Azu, said his office had heard about the operation of the alleged impersonators, collecting revenues in the state.
"The impersonators, who, we heard, claimed to be agents of government, according to our intelligence –have gone to Murtala Mohammed Layout (Hausa Quarters), Democracy Estate, Aguogboriga Extension, Afkpo North LGA and other places in the state to issue demand notice," he said.
The Commissioner, saddened by the height of ingratitude of these criminals who rather than allowing residents to pay to the state government for greater delivering of democratic deliverables to the people, chose to sabotage government by attempting to divert such money to private pockets to enrich themselves and their cronies.
"The attempt, the Commissioner assures, will be strongly resisted by the Ministry," the release added.
The Commissioner maintained that "the Ministry has never and does not intend to dispatch revenue collectors to receive cash, rather, the Board of Internal Revenue –an agency of government statutorily charged with revenue generation responsibility –had on several fora issued notification of government designated banks for the payment of all forms of revenues to the state government, not cash to criminal elements.
"While the Ministry has launched surveillance with a view of getting them and avert further extortion, the Commissioner urges Ebonyians to pay all revenues and accruals to government designated account calling on the people to report and arrest such person to the Ministry or the nearest police station for necessary action."
