Delta govt urged to commence implementation of illegal community levy law

The Delta State government has been urged to begin the implementation of the law against illegal and forceful collection of  levies locally known as ‘deve’ from public and private developers in the state by community hoodlums.

It will be recalled that the Delta State governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, assented to the bill entitled ‘Delta State Public and Private Properties Protection Bill 2018’ in August last year to criminalise illegal and forceful collection of levies from public and private developers.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chieftain, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, made the appeal,  saying since the governor signed the bill into law, Delta communities still indulge in the illegal and forceful collection of levies from private and public land developers.

The true meaning of Ruga

He stated that the activity  persists because  government had not implemented the law.

The PDP chieftain stated that harassment of developers, particularly by youths under the guise of collecting development fees often times chases away investors who are ready to do business in the state.

He further averred that a situation where an investor is asked to pay certain amount of money to some groups of people in a community before he is allowed to set up a company or  erect a structure is fraudulent, retrogressive and not in the best interest of the development of communities and the state as a whole.

The former governorship aspirant maintained that beside  away investors, the collection of such illegal dues is responsible for thuggery, assassination and communal warfare as those involved clashed among themselves as they scramble to take control of certain areas so that they would be in position of collecting the illegal dues.

He added that the collection of dues is responsible for the laziness and lackadaisical attitude of Delta youths as they sit in their makeshift offices waiting to collect illegal dues instead of thinking of how to creative or search for legitimate means to earn a living.

Onuesoke observed that collection of such illegal dues had also increased the cost of project execution by individuals, government and private organisations, adding that the end result is that the masses are made to suffer as the expenses are transferred to them in form of increase in house rent and other sundry charges.

He, therefore, called on the state government to roll out penalties for violators in order to create room for investors to invest in the state to stem the scourge of unemployment.