Court Stops Collection of Illegal Levies From Block Industries’ Vehicles In Delta

A High Court sitting in Otor-Udu, Delta state has halted the collection of illegal daily duties/levies from members of Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association in Delta state.

Specifically, the court restrained the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW of the 25 Local Government Areas of Delta state from carrying out the alleged illegal duties/levies collections.

In suit No. OUHC/171/2017, the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association as claimants, prayed for the court to grant order of interlocutory injunction restraining the (Defendants) NURTW of the 25 Local Government Areas in the state and Delta State Ministry of Commerce and Industries from collecting illegal daily duties, taxes and levies from members of the claimants’ drivers and persons in charge of vehicles in any part of the state when carrying out their lawful duties of delivering of sand and cement to or out of their block molding industries.

Counsel to the claimants, J. S. Sini Esq., prayed further that block molders are private limited liabilities companies operating under individual business names registered under the laws of Nigeria, and came together as an Association known as Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association, and registered it with Corporate Affair Commission.

It added, “having come this far, the NURTW cannot regard members of the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association as members of the public that put their delivers’ vehicles in the NURTW motor parks for hire and whose vehicles can be impounded or made to pay taxes or levies in the state”.

Judge of the Otor-Udu High Court, Justice C. E Achilefu, in granting the application as prayed above, restrained the NURTW from collecting illegal daily duties, taxes and levies from the members of the Otor-Udu and Otu-Jeremi Block Industries Association drivers and persons in charge of vehicles in the state pending the hearing and determination of the suit.