Lower Manya Krobo threatens to boycott tax payment
The chiefs and people of the Lower Manya Krobo Traditional Area have declared their intention to boycott the payment of taxes, levies and tolls to the Municipal Assembly.
They said if by the last week of October the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) did not hold the assembly election, they would proceed with their threat, adding “we will take the campaign a step further and aggressively.”
Nene Asada Ahor, Chief of Akuse and Public Relations Officer of the Traditional Area, disclosed this at a press conference at Agomanya on Wednesday.
The seemingly angry people, all clad in red apparels with some wearing red bands, chanted war songs to express their frustration about the situation.
There was no assembly election in the municipality in 2010 due to a dispute over the alignment of some seven electoral areas in the Eastern Region with that of the Dangme West District in the Greater Accra Region.
But the Supreme Court ruled on June 13, 2012, that the Legislative Instrument (LI) 1983 was unconstitutional and, therefore, directed that the electoral areas be retained in Lower Manya.
To that effect, Dr Raymond Atuguba, Executive Secretary to the President, issued a letter dated June 28, 2013, which was copied to the MLGRD, impressing on the EC to hold the election within the municipality.
“But we have not had assembly members in our various communities, and nobody is giving us any official reason for the continuous delay, despite our numerous appeals,” Nene Ahor said.
Mr Philip Tetteh Padi, Commissioner for Kloma Gbi, a Krobo Pressure Group, said: “The chiefs are not the only people in the campaign, the youth and the entire citizenry are all in support, and will contribute to efforts and activities lined up to demand our constitutional rights.”
Mr Isaac Tetteh Agbo, Manya Krobo Municipal Chief Executive, said even though he shared the sentiments of the people, their intention to stop payment of taxes was unlawful.
Source: GNA