Ogun State House of Assembly has directed that only the approved harmonized tickets issued by the Ministry of Finance, the Internal Revenue Service, and that of the recognised associations or unions should be purchased by truck drivers in the haulage business including those carrying sands, gravel, granite and stones at quarries across the State pending the conclusion of an investigation into allegations of extortion, criminal intimidation and other illegal activities.
The Assembly, through its joint Committee on Industry, Trade and Investments as well as that of Transportation chaired by Honorables Oluseun Adesanya and Wasiu Ayodele during a meeting on a petition submitted to the Assembly by Union of Tipper Suppliers and Quarry Employers of Nigeria today at the Assembly (UTSQEN) Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Union in its petition had lamented what it described as issues of extortion, criminal intimidation, forceful issuance of illegal tickets, double taxation, and unlawful seizure of trucks by toll collectors.
Speaking after the meeting, the House Committee directed that other fees paid aside those earlier stated should be stopped immediately as thorough investigation would be conducted on the matter.
The House Committee warned all illegal agents issuing unauthorised tickets at quarries across the State to stop immediately, directing the deployment of task force members to all the quarries in the State to enforce the Assembly’s directive.
The Committee also invited the Permanent Secretaries of the State Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment, Transportation, Environment, as well as a senior Director from the Ministry of Finance, to appear before the Assembly on Tuesday, October 20, for further investigation into the legality of the tickets being issued at quarries across the State.