Members of Edo State Professional Drivers on Wheel, one of the private revenue collectors recently banned by the Edo State government, on Wednesday, clashed with staff of Oredo Local Government Council, the police and the Nigerian Security and Defence Corps over revenue collection.
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki had in his New Year broadcast banned all private revenue collectors from collecting revenue and taxes for the state government.
According to Obaseki, I must quickly mention that one issue that continues to agitate Edo people is the lawless activities of some individuals who persist in harassing and extorting innocent citizens under the guise of collecting taxes and levies.
“The laws of our country vest the responsibility for collecting taxes exclusively on the three tiers of government (Federal, State and local governments). Consequently, with effect from today, January 1, 2017, only employees of government can collect taxes and levies in Edo State.
“All arrangements to collect taxes or levies entered into by any state or local government agency in Edo State, ceases to be valid with effect from today,’’ the governor said.
Trouble however started yesterday when the authorities of Oredo Local Government carry out the enforcement of the governor’s directives.
Osagiator Ojo, head of Oredo Local Government Administration, in an interview, told newsmen that members of the drivers’ union were already complying with staff of the council in the payment of levies when some other members on the order of the leadership of the Edo State Professional Drivers on Wheels suddenly attacked them at Ekpenede and Ebo streets axis of Oba Market.
Ojo said one of the attackers was however arrested and taken to the council secretariat by men of the Nigeria Police and the Nigeria Security and Defence Corps for onward transfer to the Oba Market Division Police headquarters.
He said no sooner had the security operatives arrived the secretariat with the suspect than members of the drivers’ union stormed the council and whisked away the suspect in the presence of the security agents.
He however urged the banned private revenue collectors within the Oredo metropolis to respect and comply with the state government directives.
In his reaction, Ehi Adam Rotimi, president, Edo State Professional Drivers on Wheels, threatened that it would be blood for blood between his member and that of the authorities of Oredo council if its staff were out to collect revenue from drivers today (Thursday).
Rotimi said the governor’s broadcast also banned all local government councils from collection of revenue and taxes, noting that they would not pay any money to the council until the governor’s directives state otherwise.
‘’The governor has banned the collection of revenue in the state. The governor also banned local government councils from collecting revenue and taxes, and nobody including the councils should collect any form of revenue until the governor said otherwise.
‘’Members of the Edo State Professional Drivers on Wheels will not pay revenue to anybody including Oredo council. We are not going to buy any ticket from the council staff and if the council staff comes out tomorrow to collect levy from my people there will be blood for blood.
‘’Until the governor’s make otherwise statement or directives we are not going to pay revenue to anybody. The commissioner of Police and the state director of SSS have ordered us to arrest anybody found collecting revenue in the council,” he said.
