Mechanics, Delta Council at war over revenue driv

The financial crisis rocking the nation occasioned by the falling oil price has pitched revenue officers in Isoko North Local Government Area with the executives of the National Automobile Technicians Association (NATA) over revenue payment to upgrade the financial base of the local government council in Delta State.
Officials of the Automobile Association in the council area have refused to pay the prescribed revenue to the council, citing the unwillingness of the local council authorities to build a mechanic village for their members while the council has continued collecting revenue from the mechanics over the years.
The crisis rose to a peak weekend when the council revenue officials dragged the mechanics to the state revenue court located in the area to compel them to pay their levy to the council revenue coffers.
In two separate letters forwarded to the mechanic association by the council revenue authorities and obtained by our correspondent, the local government demanded the mechanics to pay the prescribed fee of N3000 within 14 days or face legal action.
But counsel to the mechanics in the state, Barrister Dave Eluemunor, said the threat issued to his clients by the council was an empty threat as he faulted what the local government called tenement rate extension, upholstery fees and others, saying “we are going to object frankly to this type of practice. They are trying to intimidate our people but it cannot work.
“We will fight it to the Supreme Court. What they are claiming is small but we will fight it to the Supreme Court. The demand notice mentioned account number but they did not even state account number but they only put their phone number so that we can call them.”