The 18 Local Government Council Chairmen in Edo State have unanimously pledged their support for the ongoing crackdown on illegal revenue collection.
The declaration came during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Benin City, convened by the State Government to address the lingering issues of extortion and unregulated revenue activities across the State, especially within the transport and informal sectors.
The meeting was presided over by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr. Musa Ikhilor and in attendance were key members of the State’s Executive Council.
Addressing the gathering, the SSG conveyed the firm resolve of Governor Monday Okpebholo to rid the State of illegal revenue practices, stressing that no individual or group would be allowed to exploit citizens under any guise.
“The Governor, His Excellency, is very serious about ensuring that the common man on the street in Edo State is not oppressed, harassed, intimidated, or extorted,” the SSG stated.
“That is why, upon receiving numerous reports of illegal revenue collection activities, he issued a blanket ban on all unions and organisations involved in such practices, regardless of the guise under which they operate.”
Speaking on behalf of the Local Government Chairmen, the Chairman of Uhunmwonde Local Government Council, Benjamin Osas Iredia, commended the Governor for his decisive action and pledged to ensure full enforcement of the ban in their respective areas.
“Its a meeting that has come at a nick of time, because we the Council Chairmen also have been worried about the workings of tax collection in our various Local Government Areas, in our previous meeting we also urged EIRS that we are ready to sit down with them and see how we block many of these leakages and share ideas and see how we can improve the task collections in our various local government,” he said.
The Chairmen also committed to launching widespread public enlightenment campaigns at the local level, aimed at educating traders, transport workers, and residents about the dangers of dealing with unauthorised revenue collectors.
Presentations by the EIRS Chairman and the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs revealed how loosely-monitored authorisations in the past had created room for abuse, with many third-party agents and unions exceeding their mandates and operating unlawfully.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Hon Samson Osagie, reinforced the legal backing for the crackdown, warning that violators would face the full weight of the law. “No one is above the law,” he declared. “Anyone found collecting revenue illegally will be prosecuted.”
The session also explored the adoption of a centralised digital platform to streamline legitimate revenue collection, eliminate human interference, and reduce opportunities for abuse, particularly in markets and transport hubs.
Raising concerns about the continued harassment of commercial drivers by non-state actors, the Managing Director of Edo State Transport Authority, Mr. Henshaw Oligbi, pledged the agency’s full cooperation in supporting enforcement and protecting law-abiding citizens.
The meeting ended with a collective resolution to strengthen collaboration between Local Governments, the EIRS, security agencies, and transport authorities.
As part of immediate actions, the SSG announced a temporary suspension of all revenue collection activities for a period of one month, giving room for reforms to take effect.
Those in attendance were Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Emmanuel Okoebor; Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr. Lucky Eseigbe; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Samson Osagie; Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Mr. Oladele Bankole-Balogun; and Managing Director of the Edo State Transport Authority, Mr. Henshaw Oligbi.
