Petty women traders at the Nkwo Asa, Nnetu Market in Ugwuagbo local government area have appealed to Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti to come to their rescue, while protesting over the N36,000 annual statutory levy.
DrumAfricanews reports that despite their peaceful demonstrations around the market, the authorities of the Ugwuagbo revenue collection task force insisted that they are under obligation to collect the levy or have the women’s shops sealed.
Amidst Increasing tension, the aggrieved market women who on Saturday, August 15, had their shops sealed by the revenue Task Force described the levy as being far beyond their reach, as most of them are not having goods worth up to N50,000 in their shops .
The Market Women, who described the decision of the Ugwunagbo local government revenue collection task force to seal their shops as highly insensitive, maintained that most of them are merely struggling to eke out daily living.
Addressing officials of the Local Government Revenue Task Force, the leader of the aggrieved market women, Mrs Sandra, expressed serious regret that all efforts made for the authorities to understand their plight have so far not yielded the desired results.
“First of all, this market in question has never been categorised as a standard state market. It is just a small market in the mould of an ‘Ogumabiri’ with just about 90 shops
“Until a couple of years ago, the market was a roadside one, totally being maintained by individuals and the Ugwuagbo Local Government. Later, we moved it to its present location, with the local government still the one in charge.
“But we were surprised when recently the place was listed as the market that will pay an N36,000 annual levy, a development which nearly caused a breach of peace if not the intervention of ASMATA’s leadership last month.
“Our position is that we don’t have N36,000 to pay. That is the truth. Most us at the market are not having goods worth up to the amount they are asking to pay as levy.
” Severally, we have pleaded that the authorities should collect N5,000 if they are insisting we should pay. But as for N36,000, the truth is that we don’t have the amount,” the market chairperson stated.
It will be recalled that on Friday , July 10 ,2026 ,the President-General of ASMATA Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo and other officials of the umbrella body of Abia traders had intervened to avert what could have been a serious threat to peace , following a protest match by the aggrieved market women
The ASMATA President-General, whose attention was drawn to the restive situation at the market, had to move in swiftly to calm frayed nerves and prevent the situation from spiralling out of control.
While the protesting women insisted that they cannot afford the levy, Chief Udeigbo appealed for calm, promising to interface with relevant authorities on how to amicably resolve the misunderstanding.
But while addressing the obviously enraged market women on Saturday, the Ugwuagbo revenue collection Task Force Coordinator, Chigozie Stephen Okeke, insisted that there is no going back on the women paying the levy.
He emphasised that the payment of the N36,000 annual statutory levy is a policy that is applicable to shop owners in all markets in Abia state.
“I am speaking to you as the coordinator of revenue collection in the Ugwuagbo local government area. The N36,000 annual statutory levy is a policy of the state Internal revenue board and it is applicable to all Markets in the state .
The authorities decided to come up with a unified tax/levy system to avoid multiple revenue collections.
” So we are under instruction from the state authorities to collect the levy on behalf of the Board of Internal Revenue ,and all payments are made into a single account.
” When the ASMATA leadership took this matter up with the state authorities ,I understand that they were told the same thing–that the levy is for all traders in the state to pay ” Okeke stated
This is how he appealed to the aggrieved market women to understand and support the government in its efforts at providing essential infrastructural facilities for the people.
However, the revenue Task Force Coordinator, who directed the shops to be unsealed, gave the market women up till Thursday next week to comply and/or have their shops and possibly the market sealed.
He urged the women to take any of their complaints to Umuahia on or before the task force’s next visit to the market.
Reacting to the development, the ASMATA President-General, while still appealing for calm and restraint, informed that based on their earlier intervention, it was agreed that an assessment team be sent to the market for the purpose of determining if it is qualified to be included on the list of those to pay the N36,000 annual levy or not.
“After our visit to the market in early July, we later took up the matter with the authorities towards the end of July. And we agreed that a team will visit the market and assess it with a view to determining whether or not it should be included among markets to pay or not. That was where we stopped.
“But my appeal still remains that the issue be resolved amicably. And my advice is that the authorities should consider visiting the market and talk things over with the women,” Udeigbo stated.
