Makinde warns illegal tax collectors at motorparks

Oyo State Government has warned illegal tax collectors against issuing fake tickets to commercial motorists at motor parks and purporting to do so on behalf of the government.

He said that the proscription order on union activities in the state was still in place.

The state Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Prof. Raphael Afonja, who disclosed this while on inspection to motor parks in Ibadan metropolis, said that some individuals were still issuing out tickets to motorists on behalf of the government, an action he described as extortion.

“The government is working out modalities to put things in shape as regards the status of transport union in the state so as to make life easy for motorists and everyone, hence sale of tickets to motorists by anyone at the moment is illegal and should be stopped forthwith as anyone found flouting the laws will be sanctioned.

“We have got various information from all angles and every corner of the state of some unscrupulous individuals that are issuing receipts to motorists at motor parks and claiming to represent a government or any transport union.

“I wish to restate the stand of the state governor on this. The ban on activities of transport unions is still in place and anyone caught issuing receipts and collecting money at the parks will be seriously dealt with according to the law.

“The action of the government is for the benefit of the people of the state that have been the direct recipients of the activities of illicit activities at our parks and how it has been affecting smooth transportation of people and goods across the state.”

“We call on the people to immediately inform security personnel close to them whenever they find anyone collecting money under any guise at the parks. That is extortion and we will not allow it,” he said.

The commissioner, who during the inspection condemned the flagrant parking of vehicles by highways to load passengers, describing it as not only causing obstruction to free flow of traffic on carriageways but also constitute dangers to lives and property of the people, charged motorists to desist from the act and move back to the public parks provided for this purpose.

He said that the act would no longer be condoned, as anyone caught would be severely dealt with.