Balqees Adeniji
The Executive Chairman of Abeokuta North Local Government, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Dr. Lanre Oyegbola-Sodipo, has unveiled an ambitious series of reforms aimed at boosting the local government’s financial stability and ensuring efficient management of its resources.
The reforms, which include the introduction of digital systems for revenue collection and enhanced transparency in governance, are expected to drive socio-economic development in the area.
Oyegbola-Sodipo made the announcement during a press briefing held at the local government secretariat on Monday, where he shared updates on his administration’s initiatives since he assumed office.
The event was attended by key local government officials, including the Vice Chairman, Hon. Tayelolu Egbeyemi, the Secretary to the Local Government, Engr. Omowunmi Mutiat Agbaje, the Head of Local Government Administration, Alhaja Kikelomo Ajayi, the Treasurer, Mrs. Rachael, the Internal Auditor, Alhaja Faleye Zainab, and the Director of Statistics and Research, Mr. Babatunde Oguntoyinbo, as well as other supervisors, special advisers, and assistants.
Addressing the gathering, Oyegbola-Sodipohighlighted one of the most pressing challenges upon taking office—inefficient revenue generation in the local government area.
According to him, Abeokuta North had been facing significant financial losses due to outdated and ineffective revenue collection methods.
“In assessing the situation, we discovered that revenue points were severely underutilized.
Initially, we found only about 15 active revenue points, which we have now expanded to 67 through thorough evaluation and restructuring,” he explained.
To address these challenges, the chairman announced that all previous revenue collection contracts had been terminated to stop financial leakages.
In place of these contracts, a new Revenue Monitoring Team (RMT), led by the Vice Chairman, Hon. Tayelolu Egbeyemi, has been established to oversee the proper assessment, collection, and management of revenues.
A key feature of the new reforms is the introduction of a digital system designed to enhance transparency and ensure efficiency in the local government’s revenue collection process. Starting on Wednesday, this system will be rolled out to business owners, market traders, and other entities that generate revenue for the local government.
The digital system will involve the issuance of unique payer IDs to businesses, ensuring that levies are properly recorded and monitored through automated notifications and compliance checks.
“For example, petrol stations will now be charged levies based on the number of pumps they have, instead of a flat rate.
This new approach ensures fairness and accuracy in the revenue assessment process,” Oyegbola-Sodipo said.
The chairman also addressed concerns regarding the Ogun State Government’s “Oko’wo Dapo” empowerment program, which is designed to provide financial assistance to market women.
He revealed that many eligible market traders had been excluded from the program due to improper documentation, leaving genuine traders without support.
To rectify this, the local government’s new digital system will register market women in clusters based on their specific trades, ensuring that government interventions are more targeted and efficiently distributed.
“We have discovered that many individuals benefiting from the Oko’wo Dapo program are not actual market traders. With our new system, we will create a database of legitimate traders, making it easier to identify those who are truly in need and ensuring that government support is distributed fairly,” he stated.
Beyond revenue reforms, Hon. Sodipo also announced the construction of three new public toilets in different communities across Abeokuta North. This project, he said, was aimed at improving hygiene and sanitation in the area, a priority for his administration.
The chairman emphasized the importance of public cooperation in ensuring the success of these reforms, urging residents and business owners to embrace the new initiatives.
“Starting this week, my team and I will be going from market to market, shop to shop, and street to street to sensitize the people on these changes,” he said.
Sodipo concluded the briefing by calling for the support of the people, assuring them that the reforms were intended to bring about progress and development to Abeokuta North.
“We are committed to creating a more structured and transparent administration that benefits everyone,” he said.
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