From Segun Ayinde, Abeokuta
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun has unveiled plans by his administration to introduce a price control mechanism in the state.
He said all forms of market levies have been suspended, noting that only development and environmental levies will be allowed, as they are meant for the development of markets in the state.
Abiodun made this known during a meeting with market leaders led by the Iyaloja-General, Mrs Yemisi Abass at the governor’s office, Abeokuta.
He said as part of measures to control the uptick in the prices of food items, the state government would soon commence the operation of its Bulk Purchasing Company, which has now been rebranded as Gateway Trading Company, to ensure that the cost of food items is affordable for the people.
The governor noted that Gateway Trading Company would, in the first instance, begin operations in the four zones of the state.
Abiodun equally announced the ban on all forms of levies in markets in the state.
He said a market enforcement taskforce with a central body will be mirrored in the 20 local government areas, adding that all forms of coercion and intimidation by people who add no value to markets across the state will be stamped out.
The governor added that anyone caught collecting illegal fees in markets will face the full wrath of the law, adding that he will also ensure that all exorbitant and unbearable shop and stall rents imposed on market men and women are stopped.
He said: “A few things have been identified by way of illegal taxes that are being imposed right there in the market; loading taxes, discharge taxes, offloading taxes and illegal levies in the name of different people. From now on, we are putting a ban on such illegal levies in any market in Ogun State.
“The only levies that will be allowed are what they call Development and Environmental Levies. Those are levies that are associated with the upkeep of the market and even those will have to be agreed upon and made public.
“We also identified that there are people who add no value to food items coming from the farm to markets. They either, by coercion or intimidation, accost farmers and force them to sell at inflated prices.
“We have resolved that we are going to have a market enforcement task force; there will be a central body in the state.
“That central body will be mirrored in each local government. Their job will be to ensure that all illegal levies, coercion and intimidation by different people do not occur again.
“This is not the time for anyone to take advantage of another person. We are going through a transition period; we should be our brother’s keeper, considerate, and humane.
“The Iyaloja gave us an example where a basket of tomatoes is selling for N3,500, while some transporters want to charge N7,000 for transportation. The transportation cost is even more than the cost of the tomatoes themselves.
“This will no longer happen in Ogun State. We have resolved to ensure that we stamp this out because we want to make this period as painless as possible.
“We also talked about the illegal levies and roadblocks that market men and women are subjected to at different points, like toll gates. I am going to look into this and that is why we have our law enforcement agencies to ensure that those illegal roadblocks and toll gates are removed.
“Any person found collecting money illegally by way of tolls will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law; we are not going to tolerate any of these illegalities.
“It was brought to my attention that in some local government areas, developers are brought in to develop their shops and stalls, and when they do so, because they are developers and entrepreneurs whose objective is to make money, they impose unbearable rent on our market men and women. I promise to look into it and ensure that it stops forthwith,” he said.
He added that his administration would provide support in form of grants, loans and farm implements to different farmers associations in the state.
