Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on Tuesday issued warning to illegal task collectors who have been defrauding innocent people with the issuance of fake tickets.
The Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Professor Raphael Afonja, who spoke on behalf of the governor while on inspection to motor parks in Ibadan metropolis, said that some individuals were still issuing out tickets to motorists on behalf of the government.
He described the action as extortion, as the Seyi Makinde led administration has put a ban on the activities of the transport union in the State.
Afonja while speaking, warned against activities of illegal tax collectors issuing out fake tickets to commercial motorists at motor parks and purporting to do so on behalf of government, saying that the proscription on union activities in the State was still place.
According to Afonja, the Government was working out modalities to put things in shape as regards the status of transport union in the state so as to make life easy for motorists and everyone, hence sale of tickets to motorists by anyone at the moment was illegal and should be stopped forthwith as anyone found flouting the laws will be sanctioned.
“We have gotten various information from all angles and every corner of the State of some unscrupulous individuals that are issuing receipts to motorists at motor parks and claiming to represent government or any transport union.
“I wish to restate the stand of the State governor on this. The ban on activities of transport union is still in place and anyone caught issuing receipts and collecting money at the parks will be seriously dealt with according to the law.
“The action of the government is for the benefit of the people of the State that have been the direct recipients of the activities of illicit activities at our parks and how it has been affecting smooth transportation of people and goods across the State.
“We call on the people to immediately inform security personnel close to them whenever they find anyone collecting money under any guise at the park. That is extortion and we will not allow it.”
The Commissioner during the inspection addressed the flagrant parking of vehicles by highways to load passengers condemned the act, describing it as not only causing obstruction to free flow of traffic on carriage ways but also constitute dangers to lives and properties of the people.
Afonja charged motorists to desist from the act of loading passengers by the road side and move back to the public parks provided for this purpose, adding that the act would no longer be condoned by the authority and anyone caught in the act will be severely dealt with.