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Awongu addressing the drivers
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At least one person was injured and two others arrested as tipper drivers clashed with boys working for the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State, Hon. Arinze Awogu.
The clash followed an attempted by Awogu boys to forcefully collect levies from the tipper drivers Tuesday which was resisted by the drivers.
The chairman of All Tipper Drivers Association of Anambra State, Comrade Ebuka Davidson Unakwe, said some boys working for the Chairman of Ogbaru Local Government boss had gone to one of the places they carry sand to enforce the collection of N200 per a trip per a day levy which his men resisted.
He said in the process one of the boys smashed the windscreen of one of his men's tipper resulting in fracas that caused injury to one of the Awogu boys.
The drivers who suspended work on Tuesday later moved to Atani, headquarters of the Local Government where they staged a peaceful protest.
Speaking at the Local Government where Awogu , the Divisional Police Officer for Ogbaru and others were present, the chairman said that they were still in the process of negotiating the levy when they swopped on by Awogu's men to collect the money by compulsion.
He said in their interface about three days ago with the Local Government chairman, they had appealed to him to come to their general meeting to address the tipper drivers so that they would not think they, their leadership had struck a deal with the Local Government chairman.
"But we came and saw violence against our men and that is why we decided to cone to appeal to you to exercise restraints for us to amicably discuss the matter" he said during the protest.
The tipper drivers chairman also called on the Governor of the State, Chief Willie Obiano, to prevail on Awogu, saying that he is the only Local Government chairman pushing for this payment in the entire State.
Unakwe said that the Anambra State Government had stopped the collection of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and to that extent the Local Government chairman should wait until the the State starts the payment again.
This, he said, will allow them know how much they will be paying, arguing that if his men start the payment to Ogbaru Local Government now, and the State comes out with higher levy it will be difficult for his members to pay all of them.
The Vice- Chairman, All Tippers Drivers Association of Anambra State, Mr.Bonifsce Udenwa, said if Ogbaru succeeds in cajoling them to pay the levy, it will spread to other Local Government Areas in the State.
He said it was on that ground that they asked Awogu to suspend the payment until they have the meeting of Tipper Owners and Drivers Association, where will discuss the matter exhaustively and come up with a common stand.
"But it is good that we heard from him so that people will not suspect us" he said.
In his response, Awogu said they had a meeting with their past leaders and concluded on the matter about a year ago and would have implemented it if not for the flooding of the Local Government and the election that took place last year.
He said he had equally had a meeting with Unakwe led executive about three days ago, arguing that there was need for the tipper owners and drivers who make about N11m every day from carrying sand from the Local Government to support the the Local Government.
He said they had started the negotiation with N500 but arrived at N200, saying that what they paid to the State was a different levy.
The chairman said with huge profit they make in Ogbaru, it was imperative to pay a token to take care of the road and other things their activities damaged in the Local Government.
He stressed the need for them to work together as they need each other for their overall economic interest.
Awogu later suspended the collection of the levy until after their dialogue with the leadership of the tipper drivers.
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