By Okey Alozie
Sole Administrators of some Local Government Areas in Imo State have been accused of alleged intimidation, harassment and extortion of money from market women.
Information revealed that Taskforces set up by some of the Council Bosses have started misbehaving by using government position as a coverage to commit crime especially on market days.
In the rural areas as we gathered from a reliable sources these Taskforce groups come in the morning hours to disturb market women who sell fruits and vegetables. Most times as we gathered, the Hoodlums parading as Taskforces flog and beat up old women who refuse to give them money.
Some of the old women who spoke to our roving reporter at Ezinihitte Mbaise LGA complained that the taskforce working for the Sole Administrator stormed Nkwo-Mbaise market that is near the council headquarter and allegedly seized goods belonging to petty traders and zoomed off.
These victims said they were beaten up before taking away their goods. A similar thing is said to have happened at Eke Nguru market in Aboh Mbaise LGA recently.
Traders at Nkwo-Orji market Owerri North LGA also complained to our roving reporter of this harassment and extortion by the taskforce. Traders at World bank estate market New Owerri and relief market in Owerri Municipal council also suffer the same problem.
This extortion and intimidation from all indications have come to alarming rate.
The traders now want to register their grievances by going on protest against the Sole Administrators of Imo Local Governments.
One of the market Leaders revealed these taskforce groups come in batches to extort money without giving receipt to the traders that paid.
According to the market leader, the taskforce create a lot of illegal fees and market tolls just to force out money from poor traders.
“The worst is that the money collected by these taskforce groups are not properly accounted to government” the market leader disclosed.
It has been reported severally that internally generated revenue derived at the Local Government Areas are not properly accounted for due to the activities of these boys who work as taskforce.
It was also discovered that good number of Sole Administrators use staff of their office who do not add value to the system. When there is not much fund to pay them salaries, they will start to do illegal businesses just o survive.
Concerned Imolites are calling the governor of Imo State Senator Hope Uzodinma to come to the rescue of these petty traders who are being harassed every day by so called taskforce groups set up by Sole Administrators of Imo LGAs. They also want the Governor to dissolve them without delay.
