Ban on revenue collection: Akugbe Venture boss urges strict compliance
AGENE GODWIN, Benin
Following the recent announcement by the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, banning revenue collection by the agents to the Edo State Government, the Chairman of Akugbe Ventures, a Revenue Consultancy firm to the Edo State Government, Comrade Tony Kabaka Adun, has urged the agents and members of the public to strictly comply with the directives for the purposes of integrity, just as he had religiously enforced the ban by ordering motorists not to pay money to any person or group of persons.
He said this in his residence in Benin City, Monday, while holding a sensitization meeting with the Executive and members of his Akugbe Ventures on the need to strictly adhere and allow the directive regarding the ban to prevail and subsist in the state, saying that the Edo State Governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as a renowned Economist wants to restructure the revenue base of the state in line with the current economic challenges in the country for efficiency and transparency.
Speaking with Journalists while reacting to the ban, Com. Adun, maintained that the Governor who had demonstrated his capability to turn around the fortunes of the state for development, had the prerogative to restructure the revenue generation system in the state, hence there was need to join hands with him to enforce the law in order to avoid criminal acts by the so called agents, who may use the privilege to flout the order and swindle unsuspecting motorists, noting that this present administration is committed to good governance to the people through articulated and consolidated revenue drive.
According to him Governor Obaseki is a man who does not want people to continually constitute nuisance by intimidating motorists through collection of revenue, hence he had to come up with this directive so as to allow accountability and transparency, adding that the state needed revenue apart from the Federal allocation to develop the state and create jobs for the youths, especially the first 200,000 jobs earlier promised by the Governor.
Comrade Adun, who commended the resilient dispositions of the Governor in taking youth empowerment as a priority in his government, however, urged the good people of the state not to be discouraged by the ban, insisting that he (Governor Obaseki) is God sent not only to revamp the economy but to alleviate the poverty level of the people through good governance, just as he had ordered the members of the public to report any case of illegal collection of revenue to his office and to the security agents, especially the office of the Commissioner of Police, Edo State Command for appropriate action, noting that he has sent his boys round Benin Metropolis to monitor those that may defy the order.
