Conduct IGR drive with decorum or face sanction, Oyo Govt warns LGs, LCDAs

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi

THE Oyo State Government has warned Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) within the state to conduct their drive for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with decorum or face sanctions.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Abimbola Adekanmbi gave this caution and warning on Wednesday in a circular sent to all local governments and local council development areas in the state.

He explained that this decision was taken due to inordinate and uncoordinated Tax drives by Revenue Agents appointed by local governments and local council development areas especially in the area of wrongful parking, adding that Local Governments (LGs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) have been barred from collecting fees for wrong parking and illegal parked vehicles on the major roads as well as expressways from motorists.

“The agents have conducted themselves in a manner capable of causing breach of public peace. It therefore becomes necessary that the Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue, as the body statutorily empowered to interpret the Joint Tax Board policies and see to the implementation in Oyo State,” the commissioner expatiated.

Adekanmbi added that all LGs and LCDAs have been restricted to collection of fees for wrong parking in the Motor parks in their jurisdictions only, adding that they are expected to do this with decorum without causing unnecessary hardship to the people of the state.

He warned that the State Government and the BIR will not hesitate to apply all possible sanctions against any LGs or LCDAs that continue to flout the directives of the state government.