Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has imposed levies N60, 000 levies on religious bodies in the state.
These levies were imposed as part of efforts by the state government to generate funds in order to assist security agencies in their bid to maintain a crime-free state.
The categories of the levies were contained in flyers made available to journalists at an emergency stakeholders meeting conveyed by the state government, which was held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan on Tuesday.
At the meeting were the state commissioner of Police, Mr. Abiodun Odude, representatives of the GOC of 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Odogbo Ibadan, Area Commanders, DSS, Customs, NSCDC, NDLEA, chief executive officers of banks and representatives of Manufacturing Association of Nigeria.
The flyers indicated that religious bodies in category A are expected to pay the sum of N60,000 annually while manufacturing and services in category A are to pay N100,000 annually.
The approved rates/ levies for class A (Large) in the manufacturing sector is N100,000, category B (Medium) is N80,000 while category C (Small) is N60,000.
Those in the services, class A are to pay N100,000, class B is N80,000 while class C will pay N60,000 annually.
Those in the class A, trading, agriculture and forestry and solid minerals are to pay N80,000 while those in the classes B and C are to pay N50,000 and N30,000 respectively annually.
The rest are religious bodies including churches and mosques as well as those in other areas who were asked to pay N60,000, N40,000 and N20,000 for classes A, B and C respectively.
The notice said that payment of the above levies are necessary to support the state government to ensure lives and property are protected.
