By Joseph ETTA
Tax officers from the Cross River State Board of internal revenue who were on their official duty to Marian market were mobbed on last Thursday at the Marian market, along Marian road in Calabar.
The market situated along Marian Road, Calabar is one of the largest market in the heart of Calabar town. The market was engulfed with fire disaster which razed down 32 shops in A line area of the market.
The traders stated that their grouse is the Calabar Municipality Area Council, who collects levies and sell ticket daily, day in, day out throughout the year who totally neglect and abandoned them to their own fate.
According to Traders Association president, Etim Inyang said “We drove them out of the market to show our displeasure particularly over the non-insensitive and non-challant attitude of this Administration towards the plight of the people in this state.”
He observed that since fire gutted the market last year and razed down 32 shops, no government official or agencies has visited the scene of the incident or showed concern to the plight of the people ‘’I have never seen a Governor as insensitive to the plight of the people like Ben Ayade, he is never bothered by the plight of the people only to speak big grammar all over the place.’
The market Association, who had been selling in the market for the past 20 years said he remembered vividly well that when Donald Duke was in Government and the Watt market gutted fire, he personally visited them and the government supported them with financial assistance to rebuild the shops. This government is bad, they turned deaf ears to the sufferings of the people, all they know is pay tax, and the tax is too high, he added.
