Sachet water hawkers on Monday protested 100 percent increase of price of tickets by the revenue collection Department in Oredo Local Government, without recourse to the harsh economic realities in the State and beyond.

The increment from N50 to N150 daily ticket was announced by some town criers in the Council Thursday last week, ahead of the enforcement on Monday.

This comes barely four days after the Chairman of Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), John Inegbedion disclosed the State government plans to raise an average of N38bn before the end of 2022.

Spokesperson for the group who identified as Ms Ogbeifun lamented that the 100 percent increase from N50 to N150, was a confirmation that the administration of the current council boss was desirous of inflicting more hardship on residents.

Responding, the Head of Local Government administration, Mr. Kensington Osifo, advised the protesters to go about their normal businesses as the Council had no plans to approve any change or increase in price of tickets for sachet water hawkers in the Council.

He said that he was not aware of any increase and did not authorize any of such increase from 50 Naira to N150 tickets price for sachet water hawkers who barely can eke out a living from merely selling sachet water in the Council area.

He however advised the protesters to call a designated number belonging to the head of revenue Department in the Council whenever they were being compelled by revenue agents to buy the new N150 tickets.

But checks by Newspad Correspondent on Monday confirmed the implementation and sales of the new ticket to sachet water hawkers in Oba market, Urhokphota Hall axis of the Council has began.

Also, sachet water hawkers were compelled by revenue agents to pay additional N100 to the regular N50 to revenue agents in the Council area and its environs, while a some sachet water hawkers who attempted to resist the increment, had their wares impounded.

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