Laraba MUREY
The Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, taskforce for revenue monitoring, inspection and enforcement, has arrested 13 illegal revenue collectors.
Chairman of the task force, Yunusa Yusuf, disclosed this while speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the council secretariat, in Abuja.
Yusuf said the revenue impostors aged 25-40 were arrested during a sting operation in different locations of the area council.
While parading the suspects before newsmen, the chairman of the task team warned AMAC residents to desist from paying revenue to illegal collectors.
He reiterated that anyone who pays cash or money into any account other than that of AMAC will pay double to the appropriate account whenever the taskforce comes for monitoring.
Yusuf further stated that consultants working for AMAC always receive a percentage of their payment as agreed with the council, adding that on no account should any business operator in AMAC pay a consultant on behalf of AMAC.
“As you know, after our inauguration on April 4, we were given the mandate of revenue monitoring, inspection and enforcement. Today, we went round the council and arrested these 13 illegal revenue collectors. We have a mobile court and four judges, so they will be prosecuted. They will face the full wrath of the law for defrauding AMAC.
“We need the revenue to provide dividends of democracy to AMAC residents. AMAC residents deserve potable water, good roads, better healthcare and other basic amenities. Therefore, the illegal revenue collectors are depriving them of the basic amenities and we will not allow that to continue.
“We will continue the revenue monitoring, inspection and enforcement to ensure that people pay into the right AMAC account. I want to use this medium to warn members of the public not to pay cash to any individual or pay into any account that does not belong to AMAC. The Executive Chairman of AMAC, Hon. Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, has made it clear that all revenues must be paid into AMAC account.
“The only exception is okada riders and motorists, who buy tickets of N100 or N200 and pay in cash because it is a minimal daily transaction. However, we will still monitor and arrest those who go to UTC to print receipts bearing AMAC, but with intent at defrauding unsuspecting members of the public. We will not rest until we sanitize the system and prosecute those involved, no matter who they may be,” he said.