Gov Ajimobi, VIO, Board of Internal Revenue, this is for you

For some time now, members of the public in Oyo State, Ibadan in particular have been at the mercy of some people who prance around in the state capital wearing maroon vests, embed themselves among VIO officials and call themselves consultants.

They arrest vehicles under the pretext that they are working for the VIOs and end up fleecing the gullible by extorting money from trucks in particular under the pretext that they are verifying haulage permits.

In many situations where the haulage permits are in order, they demand from the unsuspecting ‘offloading and loading’ permits which they may tell you attract a N500 or N1000 per day levy. if you are unable to provide the permit you are slammed with a N50,000 fine which you are required to pay into an account. Of course, you start pleading and they tell you to negotiate. You may end up paying the boys N15.000. They collect the money, cash and gullible drivers are not receipted.

Two Lautech undergraduates, secondary school pupil died in fatal auto crash

This is not a tale. I witnessed it. and I saw a top journalist engaged with them in a near ruckus when the truck of his wife was “arrested” because the truck had no offloading and loading permit. The journalist showed them the haulage permit which had not expired’, yet they insisted on the offloading permit.  The journalist said, no problem and asked: “Can I see the law where it was stated that I must pay a loading permit after paying an haulage permit? If you show me that law and show me the account I should pay into and where I would get a receipt, I would pay now.”

All these scenario took place at a corner of  a fire station in Challenge, Ibadan.

Since nothing was produced, the journalist eventually left with his vehicle. I was flabbergasted. If the journalist had not asked those questions, what would have happened to him? People have suffered in the hands of these guys. Questions have been asked and people have been directed to room 28 in Ministry of Commerce but getting there, staff there redirect people to a consultant”s office at Agodi Gate area. Government staff sending members of the public to another private citizen?

Mr Governor sir, these guys eventually stated that they are working with the Board of Internal Revenue and are empowered to rake in revenue for the state government. They stated that they are placed on commission.

Sir, before you go, this kind of arrangement should be tidied up as scenarios painted above may somehow lead to afray. They ask for all sorts of papers. Should a truck pay N1000 per day as a levy? Should a truck pay offloading and loading permit after paying haulage levy? They also ask for something related to emission, even if you show them your emission permit.

Governor Ajimobi, you are ending your eight years in a blaze of glory. Please sir, help us to solve this before you go.

Kunle Adeniyi,

Ibadan.