Crisis is brewing at Baga Road Fish Market, Maiduguri, the largest fish market in the North-East, as the Youth members accused their leaders of N3 billion revenue fraud in two years.
However, the Chairman of the Fish Producers/Marketers Association, Abatcha Mandalama, in a separate interview with journalists said the allegation was not only unfounded but baseless.
“The revenue they refer to belongs to the government. It’s not mine, neither is it the association’s; so how easy would it be for us to commit such fraud and remit just a little to government coffers?” he asked.
The leader of the youth fish traders, Bukar Abacha, alleged in an interview with newsmen after a protest in the market that “In the last two years, they (the Mandalama-chaired leadership) have collected about N3 billion revenue from fish sellers and transporters, but remitted only about N100 million to the state government coffers,” Abacha, the leader of the youth group, alleged in an interview after the protest.
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“What did they do with the balance? Where did they take that balance to? We call on the government to investigate,” he said.
He also alleged that the Mandalama led leadership had refused to conduct elections for new leaders for the last 24 years.
“There has also not been any election for new leadership of the association in the last 24 years. They have turned the leadership into a family affair, appointing anybody they feel like to any position,” he alleged.
In his response, the Mandalama queried that “For how long has Paul Biya ruled Cameroon? I would continue as chairman so long as my people didn’t complain,” he said.
He said that the protesters were only out to breach the peace and nothing more.
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