Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, has ordered a clampdown on tax-evading miners whose overloaded trucks have damaged the recently constructed GYB Junction–Zango–Zone 8 Roundabout Road in Lokoja.
Governor Ododo gave the directive during an inspection of the damaged road, which was constructed by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) less than two years ago.
He declared that the destruction of public infrastructure in the guise of avoiding tax obligations will no longer be tolerated.
The Governor expressed concern over the extensive deterioration of the road, attributing the damage to the activities of miners who allegedly diverted heavy-duty trucks to the route in an attempt to evade government tax collection points.
According to him, the road was designed primarily for taxis and other light vehicles, in line with its Bill of Engineering Measurement and Evaluation (BEME), and was never intended to accommodate overloaded mining trucks.
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Describing tax evasion as a criminal act, Ododo directed the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service to strengthen enforcement against defaulting miners, warning that the government would no longer allow public assets to be destroyed by individuals seeking to evade their civic responsibilities.
Speaking during the inspection, the CCECC State Project Manager, Engineer Sun Yi Shi, explained that the road was constructed as an urban road for light vehicles and was never designed to withstand the weight of overloaded mining trucks.
He said the persistent use of the road by heavy-duty trucks exceeded its load-bearing capacity, resulting in rapid deterioration.
