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A group, under the aegis of Ogun State Youth Butchers Association of Nigeria on Thursday accused the Abeokuta North Local Government Chairman, Adebayo Ayorinde of imposing heavy revenue rates on them.
The Butchers also alleged that Ayorinde deployed Soldiers and Police officers to demand “illegal levies” from them.
They said the revenue which accrues from the killing of cows at the slab in the Abbatoir, is unrealistic and cannot be paid to the local government coffers.
Chairman of the Butchers’ association, Wahab Samsideen explained that the union used to pay the state government a sum of fifty thousand naira weekly as levy for killing of cows at the slab.
Samsideen however said the Ayorinde-led government is demanding that the group pay N1,000 on the killing of each cow.
According to him “We were still at meeting with him yesterday. He is insisting that from today (Thursday), he want to be collecting N1, 000 on a cow.
“We can’t pay more than 150k weekly. What the LG chairman is doing can lead to disruption of peace and orderliness enjoyed at this abattoir.
“He is bringing soldiers and police to intimidate us. He is threatening to do more, this can lead to a bigger problem if government don’t intervene.”
In his reaction, the Abeokuta North Chairman described the allegation as false and untrue.
Ayorinde insisted that the butchers were only fighting for their selfish gain without considering the government.
He however said he only provided security for the councilors who went on an oversight function.
He added, “I was never at the abattoir; the Councilors which everybody knows that it is part of their oversight functions went there. They approached me for security and that’s what I did.
“I asked the Butchers if the security operatives disturbed or close up their shops, but they said No.
“All the councilors wanted to do was to actually know how many cows are being killed daily. They are doing that because we can’t do anything without data.”
Speaking on the N1000 levy, the Chairman explained, “As for them saying that I want to collect N1, 000. Our consultant since October has been engaging them. The amount they sell cows today is not the amount they sell cows three years go. The situation has changed, so, everything should change from what it used to be.
“I called these consultants that were employed by last government that you guys are remitting nothing to the Local Government.
“From investigation I made, I discovered that they were killing up to 100 cows a day while government is getting just a penny.
“I told them that I am not concerned about my pocket that government money should go to the government, and it should be used for the benefit of the people.
“There are so many things that should be done; so many leakages. And some people are feeding on government money.
“I told them to pay N200, 000 weekly, then, we did not have figure, we only premised it on our investigation of killing 100 cows per day.
“We told them the LG would like to test run its own facility to see what can be generated by this facility, but they are not ready to comply. We have instructions to block all leakages.”
He however said, “we did not do anything or any meeting with them without the councilors and other important people like the DSS, Police and Army.”
