Why we can’t pay levies imposed byinterim exco –ASPAMDA members

Traders at the Auto Spare Parts &
Machinery Dealers’ Association
(ASPMDA), Lagos, may have resisted
paying levies imposed by its interim
leadership declared as not properly
constituted by a Federal High Court
Order .
This is playing out as the substantive suit
on who becomes President and Exco
members of the largest auto spare parts
market in Africa continues in a court in
Lagos.
Trouble started at the ASPMDA section of
the Lagos International Trade Fair
Complex in August when Chief Daniel
Oforkansi won elections and was sworn
in only to be forced out of office by the
Area E Police Command led by Mr. Dan
Okoro (ACP), who claimed he was
executing a Lagos High Court Order
secured by three presidential candidates
who lost in the July elections. The said
Court Order, however, directed the
Chairman of Board of Trustees, Mr.
Casmir Ifekam, to administer the complex
pending determination of the substantive
suit.
Addressing the media at the complex after
taking inventory of shops locked up by the
Ifekam’s Trustee government, ASPMDA
Youth leader, Chief Olisah Obinze, decried
the development, saying, “what currently
baffles ASPMDA members is the police
cold feet in implementing the latest Court
Order granted by a Federal High Court in
Lagos which did not only supersede the
August Order, but reinstated the Chief
Ofokansi administration pending the
determination of the suit.”
He said, “as you can see, over 100 shops
were locked because the owners refused
to pay a levy imposed by a government
that is removed by a competent court,”
stressing that, “we will continue to assist
owners of locked shops in breaking the
keys so that they can go in and do their
business until a court says otherwise.”
According to him, “Ifekam leadership was
not properly constituted and therefore any
levy imposed by it should be
discountenanced. This is the position of
ASPMDA youths and we are peaceful in
maintaining it.”
However, when contacted on why he has
refused to implement the overriding Court
Order, the Area E Police boss, Okoro,
argued that “police do not interpret Court
Orders but implement,” saying, “anybody
that wants to find out why we did what we
did should wait for the end of the matter
in court.”
He advised the traders to be calm while
waiting for the court ruling on their matter
next month. Efforts to speak to the
ASPMDA President, Chief Oforkansi failed
as he was not available for comments.