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Religious organisations are to pay annual security levy to the Oyo State government as part of efforts to strengthen the state security trust fund for improved policing in the state, documents released by the Oyo State Security Trust Fund have revealed.
Fliers distributed by the Fund on Tuesday 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 document said “this is to certify the general public that OYSSTF, in pursuance of it’s statutory function to continue to assist security agencies, is embarking on the implementation of the law (OYSSTF AMENDMENT LAW 2017) recently assented by His Excellency, Oyo State Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
“Further to the above, the board of trustees of OYSSTF in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, having held several consultations, town hall meetings and discussions preceding the commencement of the law, hereby informs the general public that in accordance with section 11 (4) of the Oyo state security trust fund law 2017 which empowers the government to impose levies and rates on “person” which include residents, individuals, associations and corporate bodies or firms domiciled in the state.
The fliers were made available to journalists at an emergency stakeholders security meeting held at the House of Chiefs, Parliament Building, Secretariat, Ibadan on Tuesday.