…as ASMATA incumbent executive clocks one year in office
As part of its efforts towards increasing the revenue base of Anambra State Government for Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s rapid infrastructural development of the state, the umbrella body of all traders in the state, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders Association, ASMATA, Monday, vowed to generate #5billion this physical year, 2023, that is about ending, to State Government.
Making the vow through its President General, PG, Chief Humphrey Anuna, as ASMATA incumbent executive clocked one year in office, during a closed door executive meeting held at the ASMATA secretariat along Modebe road, Onitsha, Monday, the PG recalled that on assumption of office of the incumbent executive members in 2022, a whopping sum of #2.9 billion was generated for State government.
“It is for the first time in the history of ASMATA that such a whopping sum of money was generated. Our predecessor generated about #400 million, none of the successive administrations generated up to a billion naira.
“In this 2023 that is about to end, we will generate #5 billion to the state government. The only hindrance will be those sent by State Government to collect the market IGR. We are seasoned traders and know the market terrain more than any other person.
” We know how to block the areas through which revenue meant for State government gets to private pause and if these Government revenue agents are allowed to continue to collect the market IGR, it is obvious that the agents will not realize this our #5 billion target for the period in question,” he stated.
In a petition to the chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Anambra State Board of Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, ASMATA called
for review of strategies to eliminate hawks and impostors out of the system to achieve the vow of the leadership to hit #5 billion 2023 revenue target.
According to the petition, “From the available records we have made the sum of (#2.9 billion for 2022, using a known strategy which some opposition organizations and individuals have monitored and now manipulate inorder to stop ASMATA.
“We have personally taken it as a challenge hence the unveiling of a new strategy to achieve the target sum of #5 billio in order to make not only Mr Governor proud but also the state IGR chairman and Mr SPAD ,
“Recall also that before our appointment as the President General/ Executives of ASMATA, we had boasted of remitting #1billio yearly of which Mr Governor thought that we were joking ,now even the doubting Thomases have agreed that our Solution team is capable of even surpassing our vow to hit the all time high of #2.9 billion.
“It’s therefore imperative to have a closed door meeting with the critical stake holders and authorized partners to review all strategies and methods to eliminate the hawks and impostors towards giving Mr Governor and the Government our best instrument for a Livable and prosperous home land in Anambra State,” he pleaded.
Also reacting, the Onitsha, ASMATA Conflict Resolution committee chairman, Chief Eric Uwaoma, stated that the PG, Chief Anuna, is a good leader with men of Sterling qualities as executives.
“We will block all the revenue generation leakages through which government money gets to private pause. We know all avenues through money comes in and if ASMATA is fully in charge of the revenue collection, we will generate the #5 billion as stated by the PG.
“We are happy that we have stayed for one year and are happy to say that we have been able to generate billions of money that no successive administration has been able to generate,” he affirmed.
In his contribution, the treasurer, Chief Ikechukwu Akpoluo, stated that most of the members of ASMATA executive were former market chairmen and leaders who have garnered experience to know everything about revenue generation in the markets.
” I was a market chairman for eight years and as such know the market terrain and avenues of revenue generation. So like our PG said, we will generate the #5billion if allowed to do the collection alone,” he assured.
The treasurer assured the traders of safety of their money and judicious use stating that, “We want to prove to Governor Soludo that we are capable of increasing the revenue base of the state government.”
Also the Idemili zonal chairman, Chief Emmanuel Obiagwu, posited that though the year is almost over but that it is still possible to generate the #5billion only if there will be enabling environment.
His words, “If not for the circumstances surrounding the government, within these few weeks it may be impossible. There was an enabling environment in 2022. We achieved a lot in this our one year in office. We should be patient with our PG and government to achieve more,” he pleaded.
