Commercial motorcycle operators in Akure, Ondo State, have protested alleged multiple collections of levies and tickets, accusing revenue collectors of demanding fresh payments from riders despite earlier payments.
Key Highlights
- Akure Okada riders protested alleged multiple levies and ticket collections across the Ondo State capital.
- Riders alleged they were being asked to pay N7,000 for an emblem bearing the name of Akure South Local Government Area.
- The protest reportedly triggered clashes between some Okada riders and ticket sellers, with several people injured.
- Akure South Council Chairman Gbenga Fasua denied authorising the N7,000 collection or receiving money from the emblem.
- Fasua said he directed those involved to suspend the sales pending clarification from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
- The riders appealed to the Ondo State governor to intervene in the dispute and prevent further escalation.
Akure Okada Riders Protest Multiple Levies
The development triggered clashes between some commercial motorcycle operators and ticket sellers across parts of Akure on Wednesday, with several people reportedly injured.
The riders alleged that they were being forced to pay N7,000 for an emblem bearing the name of Akure South Local Government Area, despite having already paid similar charges.
However, the Chairman of Akure South Local Government Area, Gbenga Fasua, denied authorising the collection, saying neither he nor the council approved the emblem or received any money from its sale.
Riders Accuse Revenue Collectors Of Double Taxation
One of the riders, Jimoh Akindele, accused revenue collectors of using different locations across Akure to demand payments from commercial motorcycle operators.
“What they are doing is double taxation. How can Hon. Fasua be selling emblem for riders in Akure South for N7,000? They send boys to different locations to collect money from us,” Akindele said.
He alleged that riders had been told the payment was for Akure South Local Government rather than the state government.
“We cannot continue like this. Enough is enough,” he added.
Another rider, who identified himself as Adekunle, said operators were not opposed to legitimate government revenue but wanted transparency over the various payments being demanded from them.
According to him, riders could pay for a ticket in the morning only to encounter another group demanding an additional payment later the same day.
“We pay in the morning and another person will come later to demand another ticket. When we ask, they will say it is for Akure South Local Government. No satisfactory explanation,” he said.
Riders Accuse Tiger Base Of Harassment
The commercial motorcycle operators also accused the council chairman of using the local security outfit, Tiger Base, to harass riders who resisted the alleged collections.
They appealed to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene before the dispute escalates further.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Read also:
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- Isoko South Council Sets 10pm Cut-Off for Okada Operations
Akure South Chairman Denies N7,000 Levy
Fasua distanced himself and the council from the controversial levy, saying he only learnt about it after encountering protesting riders in front of the Government Office.
He said the riders informed him that they had already obtained stickers earlier in the year, including one issued during the Ogun Festival, but were now being asked to purchase another.
Fasua said he subsequently visited locations where the alleged collections were taking place and directed those involved to suspend the sales pending clarification from the governor.
“I told them to hold on with these sales. Let’s get clarity from Mr Governor. I went to about two other spots and told them to suspend the sales until we get clarity from the Governor,” he said.
Council Says It Did Not Authorise Emblem Collection
The chairman said the appearance of the name Akure South Local Government on the emblem did not mean that the council authorised its production or collection.
“They wrote the name of my local government on it, but it does not come from me,” Fasua said.
He added that the council had not received any money from the sales.
“When they showed me the ones they had taken, the first one for the year and the second one, they were using the name of my local government to generate funds. I know nothing about it, and not even a dime has come to the local government.”
Fasua also questioned why funds collected through the emblem were not being remitted to the council if its name was being used to collect the money.
He urged the protesting riders and other parties involved to remain calm, warning against actions capable of disrupting peace in Akure.
“My message is that they should stop such. We are not aware of those things, and specifically, Akure is known for peace,” he said.
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