Tricycle operators in Anambra State have raised concerns over the non-dropping of taxes they claimed to have paid through government-approved platforms.
The operators alleged that although they make payments to the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) through OASiS, the payments often fail to reflect on the government’s official dashboard.
According to the drivers, government task forces continue to harass and penalize them despite evidence that they had already made the required payments.
They further alleged that OASiS, the company responsible for managing revenue collections for the state, has refused to grant Transpay access to upload or reconcile payments on the government platform.
One of the tricycle operators, Uchenna Umeh, said on Wednesday that the drivers held a meeting with the AIRS Chairman and the Executive Director in charge of Enforcement, Dr. Ndubuisi Achebe.
He added that a six-member team from OASiS was also present at the meeting.
According to him, the meeting was convened as an emergency intervention following persistent complaints from operators over payments not reflecting on their dashboard and other emerging issues affecting their operations.
He described the situation as unfortunate, noting that many operators are currently being accused of owing large sums of money despite believing they were up to date with their payments to the government.
Umeh stated that the operators extensively discussed the challenges they had experienced with OASiS from the outset, particularly the the company inability to provide lasting solutions to the problems confronting operators.
He explained that under the original agreement, drivers were expected to pay taxes only on days they worked.
“These challenges were the reasons we welcomed Transpay in the first place because they assured us they had solutions to our complaints, unlike OASiS,” he said.
He added that the operators were assured that the FareFlex device, which was to be installed in their tricycles, would effectively solve the issue of paying taxes on days they did not work.
“As operators in the field, we possess first-hand information about the daily challenges we face, especially concerning IGR payments, enforcement, and related issues.
“We made it clear that what we want is the freedom to carry out our work peacefully after fulfilling our civic responsibilities by paying taxes to the government, without suffering because of inefficiencies within the system.
“We also insisted that operators should only pay when they work and should not be charged for days they travelled, had vehicle breakdowns, attended to personal engagements, or were ill.”he said.
According to him, the authorities assured them that efforts would be made to find a workable solution acceptable to all parties involved.
Umeh further alleged that from indications at the meeting, it appeared that OASiS and the Anambra Inspector App had returned, while Transpay had been sidelined.
“These are my personal assumptions based on what transpired during the meeting. Things will become clearer in the coming days and subsequent meetings,” he added.
He maintained that Transpay should be given the opportunity to defend its position before the new AIRS administration.
“If they fail to convince the new administration, then that becomes their problem.
“I do not work for Transpay, neither do I work for OASiS or benefit from either company in any way. I only want what is right and beneficial to the operators.
“Our demand remains simple pay as we work.
“I honestly do not care whether it is Transpay or OASiS that implements it. I supported Transpay initially because they offered something OASiS did not provide. I have no personal interest in this dispute,” he said.
Another tricycle operator, Ifeanyi Victor, alleged that during the meeting with the AIRS leadership, the drivers discovered that the enforcement team lacked proper authorization from the government to carry out enforcement operations.
According to him, “It appears we are returning to the OASiS Inspector App for reasons best known to AIRS.
“We clearly told the government representatives present at the meeting that we are not concerned about whether the job is given to OASiS or Transpay, as long as the issue of charging operators for days they do not work is resolved.
“Transpay was introduced because we repeatedly appealed to the government to address the challenge of paying for days we did not work, which was our biggest problem at the time. Returning to the Inspector App after three or four years of resolving that issue does not make any sense.”he said.
Victor urged the government to permanently resolve the issue, especially since there is already a tested device capable of addressing the problem effectively.
“The truth is that we will not accept the OASiS Inspector App if it fails to address the ‘pay as you work’ issue after four years,” he said.
Another operator, Collins Udeh, alleged that AIRS was using members of the public, especially transport operators, for personal business interests rather than prioritizing policies that would benefit the state.
“The reason behind this confusion is personal interest and not what works best for the state. I may not know the new chairman personally, but the attempt to return to OASiS or the Inspector App clearly contradicts the governor’s promise that the only acceptable model is ‘pay as you work’.
“Regardless of who the chairman is or whatever assurances have been given to him, if he cannot work with the already existing system that promotes transparency and accountability in tax generation, then we owe him no apology for insisting on what is already working and proven.
“We will not return to the Inspector App because its revenue generation and remittance model lacks transparency and does not favour both parties. Government belongs to the people, not a few privileged individuals in office.
“We respect the authorities, but our rights must not be trampled upon,” he added.
Another tricycle driver, Emmanuel Yahaya, alleged that Transpay’s inability to install FareFlex devices for all drivers and riders was caused by sabotage from OASiS.
According to him, Transpay was denied full access to manage payment systems for drivers and riders, making it impossible for the company to retrieve FareFlex payments from operators’ accounts.
He alleged that OASiS deliberately restricted Transpay’s operations and only granted limited permissions.
“Had Transpay been allowed to operate independently without interference from OASiS, everything concerning IGR in the Anambra transport sector would have been properly implemented by now.
“Instead, OASiS has remained a stumbling block to Transpay’s operations because they anticipated that the former chairman, Greg, would eventually leave office and a new chairman who could be manipulated might emerge,” he alleged.
According to him, the former chairman understood that Transpay provided a more reliable and fair solution for the transport sector because of its “pay as you work” model.
“The FareFlex device can automatically detect whether a driver worked or not, while also improving passenger and vehicle safety.
“We, the Keke riders, reject any return to OASiS because it does not align with the governor’s promise to us, nor does it protect our rights,” he stated.
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