Food Security: Ogun to introduce price control, bans levies in markets

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun has disclosed plans by his administration to introduce a price control mechanism in the state.

The Governor stated this during a meeting with market leaders led by the Iyaloja General, Yemisi Abass, at the Governor’s Office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Thursday.

He said to ensure that the cost of food items is much more affordable for the people, it will soon commence Bulk Purchasing Company, which has now been rebranded as Gateway Trading Company.

“We’ve also resolved that we will begin the implementation of Bulk Purchase and Selling in the state. To that extent, the state government has rebranded our Bulk Purchase Company. It is now called Gateway Trading Board.

“Gateway Trading will now assist in bringing food items to our teeming public at prices that will be significantly below what they can obtain when they go to the market themselves.

“So, we are going to aggressively implement our Gateway Trading objectives. They will first start in the four zones; they will buy in bulk and resell at prices that will be more affordable to our people,” he said.

The governor also announced the ban on all forms of levies in the market, noting that only development and environmental levies will be allowed, as they are meant for the development of markets in the state.

He added that a market enforcement task force with a central body in the state will be mirrored in all twenty local government areas, adding that all forms of coercion and intimidation by people who add no value to markets across the state will be stamped out.

Abiodun said: “A few things have been identified by way of illegal taxes that are being imposed right there in the market; loading taxes, discharge taxes, offloading taxes, and illegal levies in the name of different people. From now on, we are putting a ban on such illegal levies in any market in Ogun State.

“The only levies that will be allowed are what they call the Development Levy and the Environmental Levy. Those are levies that are associated with the upkeep of the market, and even those will have to be agreed upon and made public.

“We have resolved here that we are going to have a market enforcement task force; there will be a central body here in the state. That central body will be mirrored in each local government. Their job will be to ensure that all illegal levies, coercion, and intimidation by different people do not occur again.

“Any person found collecting money illegally by way of tolls will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law; we are not going to tolerate any of these illegalities.

Governor Abiodun noted that his administration would be providing support in the form of grants, loans, and farm implements to different farmers’ associations in the state.

In her remarks, the President of Market Women and Men in the State and Iyaloja of Yewaland, Yemisi Abass, commended Governor Abiodun for deeming it fit to call market leaders together to deliberate on how to make life more bearable for the people of the state.

She disclosed that they are happy with all the resolutions reached at the meeting.