Anambra Govt seals Synthe-Fabric market Ogidi over #100m debt

By Cyprian  Ebele, Onitsha 

For allegedly owing about #100 million to Anambra State Government, Synthe-Fabric Dealers Association market, Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, has been sealed.

The sealing was carried out by State Coordinator, Market-Traders Payment Compliance, Chike Udoji, after about five years of non payment of Internally Generated Revenue , IGR, accruing to about #00 million to state government.

Fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the sealing, Hon. Udoji, said that, “They have not paid for five years despite demand notices served them. We felt it was not fair not to make payment to the government,” he lamented.

The state coordinator who admitted that it is a private market, stated that private markets pay #17,500 stall levy yearly for each shop and public markets pay #30,000 for each shop yearly.

“Formerly it was #7,500 for private markets and #12,200 for public markets. By the time we collect data for four years we know how much the Synthe-Fabric market is owing, but must be over #100 million, excluding 2024 fiscal year :that the new payment rate was increased.

“They claimed that they had been paying and maybe the money went to a private purse, so we sealed it to unearth the truth. The sealing lasts for seven days after which they will be arraigned in court for non-payment of IGR to the government as tax evasion is a criminal offence,” he maintained.

Reacting, the Chairman of Haruna market, Onitsha, Chief Emmanuel Idoko, expressed surprise that a market could owe the state government a debt amounting to #100 million in five years and wondered where they think the government will source funds from to develop the state.

“This is the height of wickedness that for five years a market could not pay its IGR accruing to about #100 million and they still accuse the government of lack of development of the state. The market has to remain sealed until they make payment.

“In my market the traders pay their levies because they know that it is through such payment that the state will be developed and compete with other big cities and states. Manner can not come from heaven,” he posited.

It was gathered that hours after the sealing of the market the leaders of the market and Stakeholders approached the Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, President General, Humphrey Anuna, who pleaded on their behalf and the market was unsealed with the pledge from the market leaders to offset the debt in no distant time.

Currently closed door meetings are said to be ongoing with a view to finding a way out of the quagmire which has kept the traders in a fix on how to raise the whopping sum.

Anuna also said to have seen the meeting as an opportunity to reconcile the warring factions which according to impeccable inside market sources, described as the root cause of the non-payment of the debt.