Anger as Delta Govt drags business owners to court over alleged unpaid levies

By Ezekiel Kagbala (FPR)

Editor

There is uncertainty surrounding the business environment in Warri as the Delta Waste Management Board on Thursday dragged business owners in Warri South to court over unpaid levies.

Some of the lawyers who represented their client at the mobile courts set up by the board to summarily try the business firms in the city, stormed out of the court in anger.

The lawyers expressed displeasure over the procedures of the court, saying that some firms were draged to court despite not been duly served.

The summary trial of the firms in the face of complaints did not go down well with some of the lawyers who frowned over what they described as court procedural deficiency.

It was gathered that in a bid to increase their revenue drive, the Delta State Waste Management Board, had dragged several Hospitals, Clinics, Petrol stations, Hotel and other companies to a Mobile court sitting in Warri.

Some of the lawyers and business owners who spoke to newsmen lamented that the actions of the board will strangle businesses operations in the oil rich city as businesses were struggling to survive in this harsh economy.

The Manager of Hensmor filling station, Alexander Okor, who spoke to our reporter in Warri said, "Delta state Government has failed us. They need to go to the drawing board and get it right."

A lawyer who spoke to newsmen on condition of anonymity, alleged that the State Government was using the court for desperate revenue drive.

However, members of the State Waste Management Board insisted that they dragged the firms to court for failure to comply with contravention/ enforcement notice to stop the disposal of waste liquid, toxic and industrial waste into the environment.

They also alleged that the Firms had no sanitary waste bin with tight fitting Cover amongst others.

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