By Daniel Tyokua
The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) taskforce on revenue monitoring has arrested thirteen suspected fake tax collectors in the council.
Briefing journalists on Wednesday in the Council secretariat, the task force chairman Yunusa Yusuf, said the revenue impostors were arrested in different locations during operations.
He said those arrested were mostly young men that use fake receipt carrying AMAC name to collect revenue.
Yusuf warned AMAC residents to desist from paying revenue to illegal collectors claiming to be the council representatives.
He reiterated that anyone who pays cash or money into any account other than that of AMAC will pay double to the appropriate account, whenever the taskforce comes for monitoring.
According to him, consultants working for AMAC always receive percentage of their payment as agreed with the council, adding that on no account should any business operator in AMAC pay a consultant on behalf of AMAC.
He said: “As you know, after our inauguration on April 4, we were given the mandate of revenue monitoring, inspection and enforcement. Today, we went round the council and arrested 13 illegal revenue collectors. We have a mobile court and four judges, so they will be prosecuted. They will face the full wrath of the law for defrauding AMAC.
“We need the revenue to provide dividends of democracy to AMAC residents. AMAC residents deserve potable water, good roads, better healthcare and other basic amenities. Therefore, the illegal revenue collectors are depriving them of the basic amenities and we will not allow that to continue.
“The only exception is okada riders and motorists, who buy tickets of N100 or N200 and pay in cash because it is a minimal daily transaction. However, we will still monitor and arrest those who go to UTC to print receipts bearing AMAC, but with intent at defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. We will not rest until we sanitize the system and prosecute those involved, no matter who they may be.”
