BY GANIYU AGBELUSI
Normal business and social activities were disrupted for hours on Sunday at the regional Alade Idanre Market in Ondo State as people who claimed to be collecting motorcycle emblem tax got a into free for all with a man and his sister who brought her sick child to a neighboring maternity centre and her sympathizers.
Positive FM Correspondent who watched the episode discovered that the woman, name withheld, had brought her sick baby girl to the maternity centre for continuation of her treatment when her brother who brought her on motorcycle to the centre was challenged for the emblem and before he could explain that he had got it, his motorcycle’s ignition key was forcibly seized, thus leading to confrontation then to a fight.
Many were wounded in the fracas.
When contacted on phone, the Caretaker Chairman of Idanre Local Government, Hon. Jerome Akinola Akinsuyi, dissociated himself and his administration from the people as he said they were neither full nor adhoc staff of the Local Government.
The Lisa of Alade Idanre High Chief Akinsowon decried the situation whereby people had to resort to violence to collect tax on emblem.
He appealed for calm as he said he would look into the matter after necessary enquiries.
Residents of Idanre kingdom had in the recent time condemned the activities of the “emblem” tax collectors.
At a recent meeting of the Police Community Relations Committee, issues of emblem tax collectors was part extensively discussed while the Owa and its highest ruling organ of administration, Ugha in Council also condemned the violent activities of the emblem collectors.
When speaking on their activities recently, one of the high ranking Police Officer in Olofin Divisional Police Station said the collectors usually claim political victimization whenever they were arrested accusing the police of bias or being sympathetic to a particular political party.