IPOB Demands Immediate Reversal of Generator and Solar Energy Tax by Enugu, Imo Governors
September 9, 2024
By Okafor Joseph Afam
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has called on Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to immediately reverse the newly imposed tax on generator and solar energy users in their respective states. IPOB, through a statement released on Monday by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, described the taxation as a deeply anti-people and anti-economic policy.
Powerful emphasized that the tax is a regressive move, particularly targeting citizens who are forced to generate their own electricity due to the government’s failure to provide reliable power. He expressed dismay at the governors’ actions, saying, “The retrogressive and punitive tax on citizens who are generating power via solar energy and other power-generating sources by the Imo and Enugu State governors is highly condemnable.”
He went further, accusing Governors Mbah and Uzodinma of deliberately impoverishing the Igbo people, noting that “In a sane country with responsible leaders, the provision of reliable electricity is the duty of the government. But in Nigeria, citizens are penalized for generating their own light, which the Nigerian government ought to be responsible for in Enugu and Imo States.”
The IPOB spokesperson also alleged that the tax was introduced in collusion with Emeka Offor’s Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), which IPOB claims holds a monopolistic grip on the region’s energy supply. According to Powerful, the governors’ actions effectively force citizens to rely on the unreliable services of the EEDC, labeling the situation as “criminal and a clear economic sabotage of Alaigbo and that part of the Southeast.”
Powerful concluded by calling for immediate action from the governors, urging them to rescind the tax and instead reward citizens for easing the burden on the nation’s deteriorating power infrastructure. He said, “Instead of imposing tax on those generating their own power, the government should compensate and encourage them for helping to reduce the pressure on the dilapidated power facilities in Nigeria.”
He ended with a stark plea: “Governor Peter Mbah and Governor Hope Uzodinma, please allow Ndigbo to breathe and remove the retrogressive energy tax on Ndigbo.”
This call comes amid rising tensions between the government and residents of the Southeast, who have increasingly turned to alternative energy sources due to persistent power shortages.
