Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has banned tipper owners from operating in the state, following their refusal to comply with the new N1,000 per trip tax imposed on them.
The governor also banned sand excavation in the state, following alleged reported cases of destruction of farmlands, farm produce and other valuables.
The government had been on air since Tuesday to announce the ban.
Commissioner for Environment Bisi Kolawole claimed that his ministry received complaints from farm owners, claiming that tipper operators had been destroying their crops.
Tippers have disappeared from Ado Ekiti and other communities, with residents needing their services hard-hit.
Union members planned a public protest yesterday but were persuaded to shelve the action by the police and Department of State Services (DSS), citing “unfavourable security reports”.
But Fayose, in a chat with reporters in Ado-Ekiti, yesterday justified the ban, saying the tipper operators must pay tax and obey the law.
He said: “They have to obey the law of the land. How can someone be operating here in Ekiti and refuse to pay tax?
“We cannot run government without money. Apart from tax default, some of their trucks have no particulars, no headlamps and no brakes. They are also destroying our farmlands and vegetation. We won’t tolerate these.”
The Nation.
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