The Imo Hoteliers Association, on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, accused the Imo state government of extorting and impounding the vehicles of their members in the name of biometric data capturing and painting of their vehicles.
Chima Chukwunyere, the state chairman of the Hoteliers, raised the alarm on their predicament while speaking to journalists in Owerri.
In his defence, the chairman argued that “It is instructive to note that every hotel in this state is either a limited liability company or a duly registered institution with the corporate affairs commission, CAC, hence it is untenable and illogical to separate any hotel’s operating vehicles from the very hotel that owns it.”
The hoteliers said they were not happy the operation was led by one Kingsley Nwachukwu, adding that “Nwachukwu has directed our members to meet with the management committee of the state biometric data capture and painting for discussion on modalities for the exercise within one week.
“The blunt refusal of Nwachukwu to provide our Association with the relevant legal documents backing his demand on our members speak volumes of an action loaded with fraud and honestly to extort money from members of the association.”
They added: “However, Your Excellency we are consoled by the fact that in your recent radio phone-in programme with the people of the state on Saturday, 5 of this month (February). During which you freely entertained questions from interested callers on the issues bordering on the policies and programmes of your administration you made it clear that Biometric Data Capture and painting is limited to Bus Imo vehicles that ferry passengers.”
Reacting, Kingsley Nwachukwu, told Vanguard: “What they are saying is a complete fallacy. Do you remember when there was so much insecurity the government asked us to paint every vehicle? But now the order is that we should do biometric capturing and painting for only commercial vehicles. It is not true that we are collecting money from them.”
Source: Vanguard
