A committee set up by Gov Dapo Abiodun to oversee the activities of transport unions and monitor the sale of government tickets to transporters in Ogun State has been accused of corrupt practices, bordering on printing of fake tickets and allegedly demanding cash from aspiring transport union leaders.
The committee, DAILY POST reports, has been accused of issuing and selling fake tickets of the Ogun State Internal Revenue Service to motorbike riders, particularly in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state.
But the allegation has been described as a “malicious story disseminated by aggrieved politicians and political jobbers, who are hell bent on tarnishing the image of the Chairman and members of Ogun State Interim Transport Committee.”
A leader of the committee, Tunji Akinosi, described the allegations as fictitious and baseless, saying they have no logical link with the chairman and committee members.
In a report being disseminated by one Oluwole Ajekiigbe, who claimed to be an indigene of Ogun State, it was said that some leaders of the committee were printing fake tickets and selling same to Okada riders across the state.
“In the early hours of Sunday, November 3rd 2019, a member of the AMORAN Caretaker Transport Committee in Ogun East, Alhaji Oseni Taiwo aka Alhaji Parie, raised alarm that the IRS tickets which had been on sale all along were fake.
“Further investigations revealed that the fake tickets were printed and issued by the Barr Sunday Adeniyi-led Ogun State Interim Transport Committee, and were sold by one Nurudeen Aina Alowonle (and his cohorts) who currently is a member of the AMORAN Caretaker Committee (a subcommittee of the OGSG Interim Committee).
“This fraud is in addition to several reports of extortion from aspirants by members of the Transport Committee. Way and manner with which Barr Sunday Adeniyi and other members of the Transport Committee take ‘cash’ from aspirants for leadership of Transport Unions is beyond marvelling.
“Records of several meetings held where the committee leadership told aspirants point blank that the highest bidders only shall be recommended and promoted by the committee in its reports to the Governor.” Ajekiigbe said, sharing photos and a video of the alleged fake tickets.
In his reaction, Secretary to the Ogun State Interim Commitee on Transportation, Hon. Tunji Akinosi, debunked the allegation of fake ticketing, saying, “all the receipts attached to the false allegations and report in circulation are not government tickets; but from the face of the tickets, they are Union tickets whose activities have been suspended by Ogun State government.”
His words: “It has come to our attention, the malicious story disseminated by aggrieved politicians and political jobbers who are hell bent in tarnishing the image of the Chairman and members of Ogun State Interim Transport Committee based on fictitious and baseless allegations that have no logical link with the chairman and committee members.
“Ordinarily, we never intended to respond to the spurious allegations which are unfounded but to set the record straight and to clarify any misgivings the malicious information may have created in the minds of reasonable citizens of Ogun State.
“Firstly, the printing of all government revenue tickets is solely the responsibility of Ogun State Internal Revenue Service and such power was not delegated to the Transport Committee in relation to mandate given to it in the discharge of its duties by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, MFR.
“Secondly, all the receipts attached to the false allegations and report in circulation are not government tickets but from the face of the tickets they are Union tickets whose activities have been suspended by Ogun State government.
“The persons behind the blackmail are not smart enough to discern that Ogun State Government or Transport Committee does not print individual union tickets agreed by members of each Association or Union.
“Thirdly, it is on record that since the inauguration of the Transport Committee, the revenue generated by the government from transport ticketing has witnessed turn around increase and skyrocketed to over 100 per cent increase. The activities of the Transport Committee is opened to every stakeholder and at no point did the Chairman or any member of the Committee printed tickets or engaged anyone to do so on behalf of the Committee or Chairman.
“Consequently, we want to restate that the Committee will not relent in its efforts to revamp the revenue generation of the transport ticketing/revenue to the purse of the State as long as the OGSG permits.”
