Gov Alia orders immediate removal of road blocks in Benue
The Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has ordered that all illegal road blocks at various locations across the state be removed.
Alia gave the order during a thanksgiving mass organised by the Post Transition Committee and held in his honour at Saint Winifred’s Parish, Ihugh.
The governor explained that such road blocks constitute security threats and promote illegal activities, noting that some youths already see road blocks as a lucrative business while others use them to perpetrate criminal activities.
“Once we get rid of such road blocks, we will know who the miscreants hiding under the guise of illegal road blocks to cause disharmony are.
“The directive became necessary to enable the ease of transacting business in the state as well as safeguard and guarantee free movement of goods, services and travelers through the state”, he explained.
Quoting the Taxies and Levies Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, Section 2 (2) which disallows any person, including a Tax Authority, from mounting a road block in any part of the Federation for the purposes of collecting any tax or levy, the state Chief Executive further stated that no police department, section or squad is allowed to go against the law for whatever reason.
The governor further urged authorities concerned with such activities in the state to immediately swing into action towards ensuring strict compliance with the directive.
