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Fayose Killing Economy With Taxes, Forced Closure Of Businesses, Says APC
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayodele Fayose over imposition of outrageous taxes and forced closure of business premises in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, saying the forced closure of businesses over alleged refusal to pay taxes would compound the state’s economy’s woes.
The party said the governor’s action was a wrong signal to investors willing to do businesses in the state and a disincentive to local business operators who struggled to cope with cut-throat taxes being imposed by the governor.
Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti, said the taxes imposed on business owners were too harsh, outrageous and exploitative.
Describing Fayose administration’s policies as lacking human face, he said “the prevailing economic situation in the country doesn’t support high taxes”.
He said: “Locking out traders, shop and business owners without allowing them opportunity to remove their valuables is most degrading, wicked, ungodly and inhuman.
“The task force men working with some thugs refused the business owners along Bank Road to take the keys to their homes, cash, cheque books, passbooks and other documents as they were locked inside, which resulted in Igbo traders that drive the economy of the state to stage a protest.
“Zenith and Diamond banks were illegally and forcefully locked up against the customers and the workers at the banks, thereby causing panic as in armed robbery scene.”
Regretting that the operation was hijacked by suspected hoodlums working for the governor, he said many of the traders were physically harassed and attacked for failure to pay outrageous taxes that were already threatening some of the businesses along that axis in the state capital.
“Increasing taxes on individuals and businesses by almost 500 per cent in breach of the agreement with the local business operators in a place like Ekiti would kill the economy that is already weak.
“The forcible closure of business centres has deprived many Ekiti residents of their means of livelihood while harsh economic policies introduced by the governor has forced many hotels out of business, as hospitality business in the state is now on life support awaiting its final death.
“This is unlike the Kayode Fayemi administration that attracted many investors to the state, but now, unfortunately, Fayose’s actions are driving investors away from the state,” he said.
Olatunbosun described as reckless Fayose’s handling of the state economy, saying that instead of the governor fulfilling his promises as the “friend of the masses”, he was turning the cudgel against the people he deceived to get their votes.
“Imposition of levies in public schools, re-introduction of school fees and stoppage of WAEC fees for final year students in public secondary schools are all intended to take education out of the reach of the poor.
“This shows clearly that Fayose is not the friend of the masses as he claims to be. His actions and policies have now proved that he is the enemy of the poor,” he explained.
Olatunbosun said market women should prepare for the worst on November 8 when they are expected to be displaced from the Erekesan Market (Oja Oba) in Ado Ekiti when bulldozers would roll in to bring the market down.
“The market women’s woes will be compounded as the new Awedele Market cannot contain all of them. To make matters worse, majority of the market women being displaced have not been compensated as the Awedele market which was given almost free to them by former Governor Fayemi, will now be sold to them by Fayose at exorbitant price they cannot afford.
“Only last week, the governor allegedly led a midnight raid on the stalls of the market women at Oja Oba where tables, stands and other structures used by the market women to display their products were carted away and their stalls closed, thus denying them access to their business centres,” he explained.
He added that traders at Elegberun Market in Ikere had refused to take new shops built by Fayose, as the facility was priced out of the capacity of the local traders who were being asked to cough out N1million for a stall.
Olatunbosun said the governor should realise that scales are gradually falling off the eyes of Ekiti people, as they had realized that Fayose was deceiving them in the running of his one-man government of impunity without consideration for the feelings and well-being of the majority.
