The Imo State Government has distanced itself from an N80,000 levy placed on Sienna Drivers across the state and described such action as illegal.
The government disclosed this through the Special Adviser to the Governor on monitoring and compliance, Chinonso Nwaneri to news men on Friday.
He issued a stern warning to unauthorized individuals and criminal syndicates extorting money from transporters using Toyota Sienna vehicles across the state, especially those plying the Umuowa and Aba-Owerri expressway.
Nwaneri said that these illegal agents have been collecting as much as N48,500 for 2005 model Siennas and a staggering N80,000 for 2008 models from unsuspecting drivers.
He said, “This government did not authorize the collection of any such levies and does not operate through Point of Sale (POS) agents.
“All official payments are strictly done through the Imo State Treasury Single Account (TSA). Any collection outside this channel is not only fraudulent but criminal.”
He called on all transporters and motorists in the state and those merely transiting to resist these extortion attempts and to report such incidents immediately to the nearest police station or the Ministry of Transport.
Offenders caught engaging in this heinous act, he added will face full prosecution under the law.
He further admonished commercial drivers, to stay vigilant and not to fall prey to impostors parading themselves as government agents.
He added, “This is not just theft—it is economic sabotage and an attack on the integrity of our state..
“We will not tolerate this criminal enterprise hiding under the guise of government activity.”
