By Modupe Bankole
The Oyo State House of Assembly on Thursday held plenary in Ibadan, where lawmakers deliberated on key governance, economic and social issues, with particular focus on illegal revenue collection, youth unemployment and sectoral oversight.
The sitting featured the consideration of committee reports, petitions and motions aimed at improving service delivery and strengthening public confidence in government processes.
An important issue raised was a motion seeking to curb illegal revenue collection, multiple taxation and the harassment of commercial drivers, tricyclists and motorcyclists across the state.
Lawmakers noted that transport operators have repeatedly complained about unauthorised levies, excessive charges and the proliferation of stickers imposed by different individuals and agencies, a situation they said has worsened economic hardship and encouraged financial leakages.
Lawmakers that were part of the debate warned that the absence of a clearly defined and harmonised framework for transport related revenues had created room for extortion, intimidation and abuse, particularly at motor parks and major routes.
They stressed that commercial drivers and riders play a critical role in the state’s informal economy and should not be subjected to practices that affects their livelihoods or triggering unrest.
In addition, the House received reports from the Committee on Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours on its oversight visit to Owode Garage, Oyo town, as well as an interim report of the Joint Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and Commerce and Cooperatives on enforcement of the ban on foreign buyers at farm gates in the cashew sector.
Lawmakers also considered a motion calling for the establishment of the Oyo State Digital Talent Revolution Initiative to equip unemployed youths with globally competitive digital skills.
At the end of deliberations, the Assembly resolved to urge the executive arm of government, through the Ministries of Public Works and Transport, Finance and the Oyo State Internal Revenue Service, to urgently harmonise all transport related revenues into a single, transparent framework.
The House further called for decisive action to eliminate illegal revenue collectors, protect transport operators from harassment and promote accountability, fairness and effective service delivery across Oyo State
