From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin

The chairman, Wheelbarrow Pusher Association, Edo State chapter, Otunba Adebayo, yesterday, called on the state government to investigate the issue of alleged extortion by individuals in the name of ticketing at the Oba Market, saying that they are not slaves.

He made call during a protest march against extortion and multiple taxations of members of the association in Benin City.

Adebayo said the recognized ticket by the association was N50 but suddenly, various levies started to emanate from nowhere, culminating to the sum of N1000 in a day.

“When they started, they were collecting N50. From N50 it is now N700. We are not slave. That is the reason for the protest.

“The money they are collecting from us is too much. government does not ask them to collect N700 from anybody. government did not also tell them to fight anybody, injured people in the market.

“The embarrassment is too much. If you go to hospital now, you will see a lot of the wheelbarrow pushers lying in hospitals. Some of us have given up the trade.

“How much are we working? Some will rent wheelbarrow for N300 and work at most N3000 while some will not work as much as that. That is how we have been sustaining ourselves in the business. Those that work between N700 and N1000 a day, if you remove N300 how much will now be left for the person? Nothing”, he said.

He added that “My people don’t want to steal, kidnap, yahoo (Internet fraud) but the only yahoo they know how to do is the wheelbarrows they are pushing for a living.

“The problem is that there are too much people collecting ticket from us (ticketing). Among the ticket people are those without ticket. They go about with marker. In the marker group, they are about six in groups”.

He said the protest will from today last to next week if government does not answer them or do something positive about it.

For Abdualli Samata, from Kano State, they pay N200 for community chair, marker, N200, painting, N200, all this money, according to him is too much for them to pay.

Also, Paul Okoh, called on Edo State government to come to their rescue noting that since the banning of bikes by the past administration in the state, they decided to take to pushing of wheelbarrows as a means of survival.

Caption: The wheelbarrow pushers protesting multiple taxations in Benin City yesterday.

Wait, there is an association like this?

Indeed, Edo state can never be Lagos state

Obaseki should look into the matter because that 700 naira is unacceptable.

That's too much

How much are they making on a daily

Obaseki is a good man and I believe he would look into these

helinues:
Indeed, Edo state can never be Lagos state

Lagos state is far worse...every worker,hawker, transporter,all are extorted everyday by agberoes...and Lagos state govt is bringing a new #800 extortion next month. And are you even from Lagos state?


Btw, receive something vvv

Why should barrow Pusher should still be taxed

That's height of wickedness.

Emperor obaseki keep doing Edo People anyhow because he has won reelection.

We've not seen or heard what he has done since since the Advent of his second tenure

This is wickedness, how much do the make in a day?

And to think that some of them even rents the barrow

helinues:
Indeed, Edo state can never be Lagos state

You are spot on. While Lagos is planning to bring in the fastest trains in the world, Edo is in the news over squabbling about wheel barrow pushing business.

Winningbot:
This is wickedness, how much do the make in a day?

And to think that some of them even rents the barrow

I get your point. For some of them there are alternative jobs that even pay better in medium and long term but those alternative jobs like farming don't give immediate cash and comes with a lot of discipline and delayed gratification.

So unskilled jobs with immediate cash reward like wheel barrow, Okada riding etc mostly attract those who lack the self discipline of delayed gratification. I understand if it's a temporary thing just to quickly raise some funds but turning wheel barrow pushing into a trade association is completely ridiculous and unacceptable in my opinion.

I honestly don't know which kind of yeye job creation wheel barrow pushing creates. It's abuse of human dignity. It's the same nonsense we fought against then here in Lagos when Gokada then was claiming to be creating very useless jobs with trained human lives cost by giving our young graduates Okada to carry passengers around even on third mainland bridge for them to get killed!

Mr three credit is making life miserable for Edo people

Edo no B lagos

How much dem dey sell Wheel Barrow wey u go dey still charge dem #700 daily...

inoki247:
How much dem dey sell Wheel Barrow wey u go dey still charge dem #700 daily...

Don't mind them joor

JAMO84:
Mr three credit is making life miserable for Edo people

Which is three credit again oh?

Chai

Jostoman:
Obaseki should look into the matter because that 700 naira is unacceptable.

Obaseki is the Ikpeazu of South South. Nothing is working in Edo. He is extremely incompetent. We warned them last year, but they were busy shouting "Edo no be Lagos", now their eyes don clear.

All we see in Edo are Tax collectors everywhere. Harasing commercial vehicle owners and small scale business people. That's why transport rates and cost of things are too high in Benin.

FreeStuffsNG:

You are spot on. While Lagos is planning to bring in the fastest trains in the world, Edo is in the news over squabbling about wheel barrow pushing business.



I get your point. For some of them there are alternative jobs that even pay better in medium and long term but those alternative jobs like farming don't give immediate cash and comes with a lot of discipline and delayed gratification.

So unskilled jobs with immediate cash reward like wheel barrow, Okada riding etc mostly attract those who lack the self discipline of delayed gratification. I understand if it's a temporary thing just to quickly raise some funds but turning wheel barrow pushing into a trade association is completely ridiculous and unacceptable in my opinion.

I honestly don't know which kind of yeye job creation wheel barrow pushing creates. It's abuse of human dignity. It's the same nonsense we fought against then here in Lagos when Gokada then was claiming to be creating very useless jobs with trained human lives cost by giving our young graduates Okada to carry passengers around even on third mainland bridge for them to get killed!

You've never been to Benin. It's only in Benin that, Tomatoes sellers have their separate Union. Fresh Ugu leaves have their Union while the dry Ugu leaves also have theirs separately. In Edo Gari sellers in every Market have their Union, toothpicks sellers have theirs too.

Virtually every item that exist in the their market, have their separate Union. It's that crazy. But all blames goes to the incompetent Governor. Abgeros have taking over the affairs of the State. They even decide the rate commercial vehicles pick passengers.

In Edo, Bus drivers have been paying 1k as daily tax for about 3 years now. While small Cars pay 500.

But truly, Edo no be Lagos.

OneTwoOne:
Why should barrow Pusher should still be taxed

That's height of wickedness.

Emperor obaseki keep doing Edo People anyhow because he has won reelection.

We've not seen or heard what he has done since since the Advent of his second tenure

Edo no be Lagos ooo