The Oyo state chapter of the Association of Livestock Dealers of Nigeria, has accused the State government of neglect despite members paying over N5 million as tax on over ten thousand goats daily.
Ashirudeen Abd-Rasaq, state president of the association maintained that with the level of revenue the government generates from the members of the association daily, they deserve the attention of the government.
“If we can be paying N5million daily on over ten thousand goats, do we not deserve the attention of the government like all other sectors? Go across the whole of Oyo State, nothing has been done for our members, we also need to feel that we are members of the public upon which the government presides and collects tax,”
said Abd-Rasaq at the Chieftaincy and Award Ceremony organized by the Iseyin local government chapter of the association.
The event, held at the Aseyin’s palace at Iseyin was witnessed by the leadership of all political parties in the community, traders union and youths bodies.
Abd-Rasaq, while presenting his address, called on security agencies to beam their searchlights on major cattle markets to unravel cases of cattle rustling and stealing of livestock from households and livestock farms.
He alleged that most Fulani youths engaged in selling and buying of livestock, without knowing the source of the animals and according to him, rustled cattle and other livestock were taken to the cattle market for sale.
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“We want people to be careful about where they buy their livestock, many of the people that sell livestock at the market are not part of us, in the old, each household of livestock traders was well known in each area, especially for people that wanted to sell or buy goats, this made the work easy and the traders and individual owners that owned the goats had peace of mind about the safety of their animals,” he said.
“It is not like today when those that did not learn the trade now engage in its selling in an abnormal way, unfortunately when people’s goats and other animals get lost, owners would rather come to us to look for them, therefore, we want these people to either join us and work legitimately or stay away from the trade and stop tarnishing our image.
“Most especially, we are using this medium to call on the Fulani Bororo and Hausa people to speak with their wayward children who always waylay those that want to sell their livestock at the Friday market at the Kilometer two in Iseyin, it is not their trade and it is the only way today that goat thieves are making use of to sell their stolen animals.
“We want the government and security agencies to note this and work towards putting a stop to it, those genuinely engaged in the trade, especially our old women who sell and buy livestock, including birds, are not allowed to do their jobs anymore and we have taken this issue to the State government, they promised to work on it.
“Although we agreed that they should work on that, we have asked our members across the State to stop paying the tax of five hundred naira for each goat because of the neglect we suffer.”
The programme included presentation of chieftaincy titles and awards to dignitaries like the National President of Iseyin Development Union (I.D.U), Bayo Raji, the former State Chairman of Miyetti Allah,Seriki Yakubu and the Iyaloja of Iseyin local government, Nimotallahi Wahab, among others.
Lasisi Sulaimon was installed as the ‘Babaloja Eleran’so’ of Iseyin local government while Tijani Ramotallahi became the ‘Otun Iyaloja Eleran’so’ of Iseyin and Balikis Iyabode was installed as the ‘Iyaloja Eleran’so’ of Iseyin local government.
