The Ogun State House of Assembly has warned toll collectors and other agents operating at quarries across the state to stop issuing unauthorised tickets, as it ordered the deployment of a task force to enforce compliance.
The Assembly also directed truck drivers in the haulage business, including those transporting sand, gravel, granite and stones, to purchase only approved harmonised tickets issued by the Ministry of Finance, the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service and recognised associations or unions.
The directives followed a petition submitted by the Union of Tipper Suppliers and Quarry Employers of Nigeria (UTSQEN), alleging extortion, criminal intimidation, double taxation, forceful issuance of illegal tickets and unlawful seizure of trucks by toll collectors.
The joint committees on Industry, Trade and Investments, and Transportation, chaired by Hon. Oluseun Adesanya and Hon. Wasiu Ayodele, respectively, issued the directives during a meeting on the petition at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The committees directed that all fees outside the approved charges be stopped immediately, pending the conclusion of an investigation into the allegations.
They also warned individuals and agents collecting unauthorised levies at quarries across the state to desist from the practice, while directing the deployment of task force members to the sites to ensure compliance.
As part of efforts to establish the legality of the various tickets being issued, the Assembly invited the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministries of Industry, Trade and Investment, Transportation and Environment, as well as a senior director from the Ministry of Finance, to appear before it on Tuesday, October 20.
The officials are expected to provide explanations on the approved tickets and charges applicable to quarry operations across the state.
The investigation is expected to address the concerns raised by the union and determine the legality of the collections, amid allegations of multiple taxation and other unlawful practices affecting truck operators and quarry businesses.
