The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has charged leaders of various markets in the state to report activities of those collecting illegal revenue from them to the police.
Adeleke disclosed that the intention of those involved in the act was to create an atmosphere of chaos in the state.
Osun State Government and the opposition, All Progressives Congress, have been trading allegations over the alleged appointment of revenue collectors by the chairman of Boripe Local Government Area.
While Adeleke directed the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Umar Abba, to move against those collecting revenue at local government areas, describing their activities as illegal, the APC in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, demanded intervention of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun to stop the governor from stopping the LG chairmen from exercising their power to collect revenue in markets.
However, Adeleke, while addressing a stakeholders meeting attended by leaders of various market groups held at the Osun Government Secretariat, Abere on Tuesday, also advised the market leaders to report activities of the illegal revenue collectors to the State Commissioner for Commerce, the Special Adviser of Markets, and other relevant government officials.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, he further said, “Enemies of this state want to set the state on fire, but God will not allow that to happen to us. The main focus of this meeting is for you to follow the advice given to you by our commissioner, Special Adviser, and the officials of the Internal Revenue Service, so that some people would not defraud our market women.
“These people are already hungry and they are looking for ways to take public money, that is why these people are on the streets, collecting illegal fees. I am happy today that today, we have shared ideas to stop the illegal act of these people. At this point, I advise our market leaders to be cautious. Those collecting illegal fees won’t stop, their aim is to use the illegal collection of revenue to cause chaos.
“But whenever we see those collecting illegal revenue, let us report them to the police because our security personnel know what is right. Those collecting illegal tolls may want to fight you, don’t fight back but let’s report them to the security men. They know what to do regarding issues like that.”
Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Markets, Eniola Omotoso, said members of the APC have been going around the markets to demand payment of levies from the traders.
Omotoso, who urged the traders not to cooperate with unapproved revenue collectors, said, “I have asked those collecting the levies where are they remitting the money? Anybody who comes to the market to issue a ticket to you, chase him out of the market.
“Osun State government has made it known that no ticket should be issued to traders in our market for now and no one is expected to come to you to ask you for money.”
But when contacted for a reaction, Osun APC spokesperson, Mr. Kola Olabisi, said collection of levies in markets is one of the functions of the local government chairmen, adding that elected APC chairmen had acted within the ambit of the law by collecting the levies.
Olabisi also said the party would not submit to intimidation from the state government, insisting that chairmen elected on the platform of the party had been returned to office by the Court of Appeal, Akure Division in its judgement of February 10.
“If I am to ask, whose duty is it to collect market levies? The Constitution gives that duty to the local government chairmen. Chairmen elected on the platform of APC are the ones recognised by the Constitution going the Court of Appeal, Akure decision. We won’t do anything outside the Constitution, but we won’t submit to intimidation from anyone,” Olabisi said.
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