By Andy Esiet, Calabar
Cross River state government has banned all illegal transport agencies in the state engaged in collecting illegal levies.
A statement dated March 23, by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Tanko Ashang Esq said the attention of the state government has been drawn to the illegal and nefarious activities of Garden Pickup Drivers Limited leading to huge revenue losses to the state.
He said, “information available to my office shows that your company has usurped the powers of the Cross River State Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA) by Imposing various sums on unsuspecting and gullible members of the public who own commercial vehicles in the guise that such registrations and revenues exempt them from the regulation of the CTRA and from paying revenues to the State. This fraudulent act has caused the Government huge sums of her revenue over the years.
“Following from the above, I hereby under my hand and all the enabling powers vested in me as the chief law officer and Attorney General of Cross River State issue a prohibition order forthwith to Garden Pickup Drivers Limited, her agents and allies to desist from registering or collecting any form of revenue under any guise from the motoring public”.
Ashang said henceforth, “law enforcement agencies and the CTRA are to forthwith arrest and impound any individual and vehicle parading membership of such union/association and not registered with the CTRA. Consequently, the Agency should commence full enforcement of her powers under section 21 of the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency Law 2010.
“The Agency is to similarly compute and forward to my office, all revenues hitherto converted by the Garden Pick Up Limited for the initiation of legal proceedings to recover such revenues from the company/ association”.
