By Patrick Obia
No fewer than ten Ika Ika Oqua (Marian) market union leaders have been brutalized for kicking against high taxation, and public power blackout among other sundry issues.
The Union under the aegis of Marian Market Union was said to have held a meeting to chat about the way forward in restoring power to the market, multiple taxations, and rent renewal among others at the ‘Opportunity Cost’ building in the market on Wednesday when the meeting was stopped by one Emmanuel Mbora who allegedly said he does not want any union in the market.
Eyewitness say, a few moments later, the Union leaders were asked to come back for settlement not knowing it was a gimmick. Unfortunately, they were beaten up by thugs suspected to have been sent by Mbora.
One of the traders and eyewitnesses who gave her name as Precious narrated what transpired to this reporter: “The market Union was having their meeting yesterday because, close to one year, there has been no public power supply, too much taxation on traders among other issues we face. If you don’t pay they will beat you up or scatter your market. While they were having the meeting, Emmanuel Mbora and his boys came and stopped the meeting; that meeting shouldn’t be held. They scattered the public address system they were using, and a police officer who was protecting them was threatened; that if he tries to do anything funny, his gun will not shoot.
“Mbora does not want the market to stand because when there is a Union in the market everything – tickets, and rents among others will be normalized.
“Those thugs fought with the police attached to the meeting, the police could not withstand them, this other police unit called Dragon arrived and they ran away. When the Dragon left, they called the Union leaders to come to the Opportunity Cost office that they wanted to settle. When they got there, the leaders were well beaten by the thugs, some were in the hospital. Because of that, they announced nobody should open shops since their Chairman and leaders are hospitalized.”
Multiply Taxations, Harassment And Intimidation Go Unabated
An investigation by CrossRiverWatch in 2021 revealed that some agents believed to hail from the State and Local Governments have been illegally collecting taxes and harassing tricycle (Keke Napep) operators, mechanics, petty traders, artisans, hairdressers, shoemakers, etc. And sometimes confiscate goods from these people when they refuse to hand out what the forceful tax collectors demand.
A few months after assuming office, Governor Benedict Ayade had on August 19, 2015, declared that his Government will not impose taxes on what he called “the poor”, who struggle daily to survive. “Let our desperation for taxation not allow us to heap the burden on the poor. This must stop. Definitely, God has a purpose of bringing me here as a Governor and I must not disappoint my creator” the State Governor, Sen. Ben Ayade said.
This was reiterated by the Governor in 2017 when he said, “I will rather tax my intellect to prosperity rather than taxing my people because we have sufficient education, exposure, and experience which we need to bring to bear for the prosperity of our people, which is why they elected us.”
To that effect, Ayade’s administration initiated an executive bill abolishing all forms of taxation for low-income earners in the State, culminating in the establishment and subsequent inauguration of the Cross River State Anti-Tax Agency in May 2020. The Agency is to among other things ensure that commercial taxi drivers, petty traders, tricycle (Keke Napep) riders, hair salons, and civil servants earning below fifty thousand (N50,000) Naira do not pay taxes but the situation keeps going from bad to worse.
They Don’t Want Us To Have Union In The Market – Union Leaders
The leadership of Marian Market Union has said the powers that be told traders they do not want any union in the market.
Some of the Union leaders who sustained injuries told this reporter that Emmanuel Mbora told them he does not want any trader’s union to exist in the market.
Mr. Chukwuma Joseph, Union member said they have been told also that, they do not need strangers (non indigenes) to tell them what to do in their market. He said the Chairman of Calabar Municipal, Hon. Effefiong Eke Nta has dissociated his Council from such claims and alleged multiple taxations.
“They don’t want us to have a union, we had an agreement with the Council that we will be having regular meetings every month, and it is with the consent of the court. They said we are not from here and why should we (Igbos, Akwa-Ibomites, Yorubas, and all strangers) come here to spoil their market; the market belongs to their community but the truth is that the market belongs to everyone. Just that we are against illegal taxation which is what they don’t want.
“Emmanuel Mbora dropped them to attack us. Our former Chairman is hospitalized and our current Chairman – Asuquo Etim has injuries.
“Though the Chairman of Calabar Municipal Council, Effefiong Eke is against him, he said he has removed Emma from being the Sanitation Manager and has no business with the market. We don’t know why they will be coming to disturb traders.
“The ticketing is too much, we pay N1,370.00 every day. This illegal taxation he introduced. I can show you the list, it is not from the Council.
“We were brutalized more than five of us and more than fifteen of us who were in the meeting and these thugs were more than 20 in number,” Joseph said with a bandage on his head, disclosing that his Chairman, Asuquo Etim, and others are receiving treatment in various hospitals.
At the time of filing this report, Emmanuel Mbora’s phone line was switched off.