A group, the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria (HDHTAN), Abia State chapter, has called on the state Board of Internal Revenue to strictly comply with federal government directives to keep the tax collectors off federal roads and only to designated loading and offloading points.

It said: “The federal government had issued a directive to the 36 states and the 774 local government areas in Nigeria on free flow of heavy duty trucks by eliminating illegal tax collection.

“This noncompliance by the state government has resulted in unnecessary levies and extortions running into hundreds of millions of naira from our members by illegal revenue agents who never remitted such huge sums of amount to the Abia State government account.”

The group which made this known while addressing journalists in Lokoja at the weekend, urged the 36 states and 774 local government areas to help reduce the burden of double taxation and levies occasioned by some unauthorised road blocks on highway as it is detrimental to the core business of the association.

It also seized the opportunity to inform the state governments that the association is operating within the ambit of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Public Relations Officer of the Heavy Duty and Haulage Transport Association of Nigeria, Mr. Akim Nwakodo, explained that the association has duly registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, working closely with the presidency, and has affinity with the Nigerian Police Force and other federal agencies.

The association stated that as member of the Presidential Committee on Economic Sabotage, it is now seeking the collaboration and strict compliance by the all states and local government areas across the country

“Our duty is to monitor the movement of our trucks on the federal highway through bio data collection and synergy with the security apparatus, therefore, saddled with responsibilities after signing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the federal government Joint Tax Board (JTB).

“The members of the association have duly trained by Federal Road Safety Commission and FIRS.

“The group is expected to ensure reduction of reckless driving usually leading to accidents, to reduce diversion of goods or the trucks, reduce of overloading of the trucks and checkmating driving with bad tyres,” he stated.

The spokesman also pointed out that the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) has once directed the Inspector General of Police (IG) to look at the allegations, investigate, and bring the perpetrators to book in a letter signed by the permanent secretary, Office of the SGF. (THISDAY)