By OMOGHENE BENEDICT,
Following a recent report in some of the national dailies that court restrained National Union of Road Transport Workers of the 25 Local Government Areas from collecting illegal daily duties/levies from members of Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association in Delta state, the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association, yesterday refuted the report, saying it was 18 Local Government Areas and Ministry of Commerce and Industry of Delta state that were restrained by the court.
Counsel to the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association, J. S Sini Esq., told journalists that in suit No. OUHC/171/2017, the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association as claimants, prayed for the court to grant order of interlocutory injunction restraining the (Defendants) 18 Local Government Areas and Delta State Ministry of Commerce and Industries from collecting illegal daily duties, taxes and levies from members of the claimants’ drivers and persons in charge of vehicles in any part of the state when carrying out their lawful duties of delivering of sand and cement to or out of their block molding industries.
According to Sini, “the claimants prayed further that block molders are private limited liabilities companies operating under individual business names registered under the laws of Nigeria, and came together as an Association known as Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association, and registered it with Corporate Affair Commission.
It added, “having come this far, the defendants cannot regard members of the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association as members of the public that put their delivers’ vehicles in the councils motor parks for hire and whose vehicles can be impounded or made to pay taxes or levies in the state”.
Judge of the Otor-Udu High Court, Justice C. E Achilefu, in granting the application as prayed above, restrained the defendants from collecting illegal daily duties, taxes and levies from members of the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association drivers and persons in charge of vehicles in the state pending the hearing and determination of the suit.
