BENIN: In a unified push to overhaul the state’s revenue system, all 18 local government council chairmen in Edo State have pledged their full support for Governor Monday Okpebholo’s crackdown on illegal revenue collectors.
This commitment was made during a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at Government House, Benin City, aimed at tackling widespread extortion and unregulated revenue activities.
The meeting, presided over by the Secretary to the State Government SSG, Barrister Musa Ikhilor, brought together key members of the State Executive Council, including the Commissioners for Finance, Local Government Affairs, and Justice, along with the heads of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service EIRS and the Edo State Transport Authority.
The SSG conveyed Governor Okpebholo’s firm stance, stating the administration’s resolve to protect citizens from harassment and exploitation.
“The Governor is very serious about ensuring that the common man on the street in Edo State is not oppressed,” Ikhilor said.
He explained that the governor’s decision to issue a blanket ban on all unions and organizations involved in illegal revenue collection was a direct response to numerous complaints of extortion.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, the Chairman of Uhunmwonde Local Government Council, Benjamin Osas Iredia, commended the governor’s decisive action.
He pledged that all council chairmen would ensure the ban is strictly enforced in their respective areas.
Iredia noted that the chairmen had also been concerned about tax collection issues and were eager to collaborate with the EIRS to block leakages and improve revenue generation.
To further support the initiative, the council chairmen committed to launching public awareness campaigns at the local level to educate residents, traders, and transport workers on the dangers of dealing with unauthorized collectors.
During the meeting, presentations from the EIRS Chairman and the Commissioner for Local Government Affairs revealed that poorly monitored authorizations in the past had enabled third-party agents and unions to operate unlawfully, often exceeding their mandates.
The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Samson Osagie, reinforced the legal weight behind the new policy, warning that anyone found collecting revenue illegally would face prosecution. “No one is above the law,” he declared.
The meeting also explored the possibility of adopting a centralized digital platform to streamline legal revenue collection, minimize human intervention and curb abuse, particularly in markets and transport hubs.
As an immediate measure, the SSG announced a temporary, one-month suspension of all revenue collection activities to allow for the implementation of new reforms.
