By Otiti Akpovoke
Your Excellency, Rt. Hon. Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, the Executive Governor of Delta State, the people of Oshimili South are groaning under an unbearable and outrageous financial burden imposed by the local government council. Small and medium-scale business owners in Asaba are being harassed with an unjustified fourteen-day demand notice to pay a staggering N60,000 for an “operational permit” (N30,000) and “environmental sanitation/sewage disposal” (N30,000). This is in addition to the numerous levies they have already paid, including the Asaba Capital Territory Development Levy, Waste Management Levy, and Delta State Revenue Levy. This is nothing short of organized extortion under the guise of governance!
How can a government that claims to support economic growth and entrepreneurship allow its local authorities to cripple small businesses with excessive and unjustifiable taxation? These business owners are the backbone of Asaba’s economy, yet they are being milked dry by an administration that should be providing them with relief. Instead of creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, Oshimili South Local Government has turned into a ruthless toll collector, strangling hardworking entrepreneurs who are already struggling with the harsh economic realities of the country.
This brazen act of extortion cannot be overlooked. It is completely unacceptable that after meeting their financial obligations to the state, business owners should still be coerced into paying extra to the local government. This is double taxation in its worst form! Where is all this money going? Who is benefiting from this daylight robbery? The people demand transparency and accountability from the Oshimili South Council leadership.
Your Excellency, you were elected to serve and protect the interests of Deltans, not to watch as they are subjected to financial oppression by overzealous local government officials. This madness must stop! The council chairman of Oshimili South must be called to order immediately. If this outrageous levy is not reversed, the people will have no choice but to resist this extortion through every legal means available. We will not sit back and allow a few greedy officials to destroy livelihoods with oppressive levies!
Enough is enough! The government should be supporting businesses, not driving them into bankruptcy. The Oshimili South Local Government must stop behaving like a pack of vultures feeding off struggling entrepreneurs. Governor Oborevwori, the people of Asaba are watching, and they expect swift action against this exploitation. Failure to act will only confirm suspicions that these oppressive levies have the silent endorsement of the state government.
Deltans will not tolerate this injustice. This reckless extortion must be stopped before it pushes more businesses into collapse. The people are demanding justice, and they will not be silenced. Governor Oborevwori, act now or risk losing the trust of the very people who put you in office!