Okorocha imposes ‘development levy’ on over 1.2 million adults in Imo State

The Imo State government has concluded plans to levy at least 2,000  adults in each of the 637 autonomous communities.

This hint was contained in a statement by the State Commissioner for Community Government, Culture and Traditional Affairs, Louis Duru, on Thursday.

He said the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has ordered all “leviable adults” in the state to pay N3,000 each as “development levy”, which would be used for “autonomous community adult development”.

The statement reads, “To facilitate the payment, the state government through the ministry of CGC, since September 2016, has provided community adult registers for all autonomous communities in the state where the communities will enlist the names of at least 2000 leviable adults”, the statement read.

“Consequently, His Excellency Owelle Anayo Rochas Okorocha has directed that all recognised autonomous communities in Imo State should pay the minimum adult development levy of N6,000,000 (Six million Naira only) without further delay.

“Any recognised autonomous community that fails to pay the development levy will be merged with sister autonomous community that had paid and the salaries/allowances of the traditional ruler ill be suspended.

“Government has concluded arrangements to embark on sensitisation meetings with traditional rulers at the local government areas to further emphasize His Excellency’s directives and monitor compliance,” he said

Going by the figures, the state government is expected to generate about N3.822 billion .