Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has directed the State Police Commissioner to immediately halt the ongoing imposition of illegal levies on market operators and the forgery of Council documents by certain reinstated All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government chairmen, describing the actions as a threat to sustenance of law and order at the grassroots level.
In a statement made available to newsmen by Olawale Rasheed, the Governor’s Spokesperson, Governor Adeleke also instructed the Police Commissioner to invite the affected Council Chairmen for questioning over the falsified Council documents, collection of dubious revenue through illegal documents andimposition and collection of illegal revenue from market operators.
While citing various reports of such illegality, especially from Boripe Local Government, the governor said such activities not only breached clear provisions of the law, but also constituted an affront on the Judiciary to which the APC had filed an Appeal over the sacking of its Yes/No chairmen.
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The governor, in his directive to the PoliceCommissioner, cited Boripe Local Government where the Court-sacked Chairman inaugurated a revenue taskforce which forged and printed out some Council documents purportedly for internally generated revenue (IGR).
The governor noted that the same illegal taskforce officials had begun issuing fake documents like Local Government Identification letters, market revenue receipts etc. to the members of the public, directing the Police Commissioner to intervene before any breakdown of law and order.
Governor Adeleke further directed his Special Adviser on Security to liaise with the Police Commissioner for the implementation of the directive as he expressed shock at the brazen imposition of hardship and pains on the people through illegal revenue and tax collections.
“Is this the reason for illegal occupation of local government secretariats? Is this all about extorting the people and imposing pains and suffering on them? This should stop forthwith.
“We alert the public to this new round of illegality on a subjudiced matter. I have directed the police authorities accordingly. Forging council documents and collecting revenue illegally are punishable offences before the law. Any person caught in such act will face the full wrath of the law,” the Governor stated.
