SaharaReporters gathered on Wednesday morning that the market was sealed in the wee hours of Tuesday morning by the Enugu State Board of Internal Government.
In a desperate effort to meet the $30 billion IGR, Governor Peter Mbah-led administration has imposed an N21,000 annual tax on all traders in the state.
The trader name withheld said: “Since Mbah assumed office last year he said every in the market will pay N21,000 annually to help his government in the development of Enugu State.
“Traders are feeling reluctant to pay because the increase is too much from the N3,000 we used to pay during Gov Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the immediate past governor of the state.
“It’s unfortunate that state government has made good its threat that if traders fail to pay Ogige market will be sealed."
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ogige Market Amalgamated Traders Association of Nsukka (OMATAN), Ngozi Ozioko has confirmed the sealing of some parts of the market by the government.
“I have been telling traders in the market to pay the fee since January to avert sealing the market by a government they are taking it as a joke but this morning they are rushing to pay because the government has sealed some parts of the market.
“I know the economy is hard, traders can pay the fee in instalments as it’s not compulsory for traders must pay the fee once.
The chairman noted that traders not affected by the seal were free to open their shops for business whereas those affected by the seal would only be allowed to open their shops when they presented evidence of payment.
When contacted, Mr Emmanuel Nnamani, the Executive Chairman, of Enugu State Board of Internal Revenue confirmed that the board sealed some parts of Ogige Market on Tuesday for the failure of some traders to pay a government-approved annual market fee of N21,000.
“Yes the board sealed some parts of the market and until traders in these parts paid the fee the seal will remain. Anybody who unseal it without the board approval will be prosecuted,” he said.