BENIN CITY- Burrow Pit Owners Association of Nigeria Edo State Chapter, has appealed to the Edo State Governor, His Excellency, Sen Monday Okpebholo, set up committee to investigate the activities of the Chairman of the Edo State Tipper Drivers’ Union, Comrade Osaro Aigbekean, who using his position to allegedly collect illegal fees amounting to N4,000 per trip from them since assuming leadership role in the state.
Speaking with Journalists at his office, the State Chairman of the Burrow Pit Owners Association, Comrade Joseph Enaruna Igiebor, commended the timely intervention of his excellency to mandate the honourable commissioner of solid minerals and mining to wade into the issue, saying it is laughable to hear from the tipper drivers that the pit owners in connivance with Comrade Osakpanmwan Eriyo, have abruptly influenced the increase of sand fees from N37,500 to N40,000
He said that such presumption was capable of causing disharmony in the state, adding that there are standing fees for sand transactions in the state.
According to him ” 4 in 1 load of sharp sands is sold for N36,000; 2 in 1, is sold for N26,500 ; while 4 in 1 for filling sand is sold for N17,800 and 2 in 1, is sold for N14,000 to tipper drivers at the burrow pits”
Comrade Igiebor noted that it was shocking to see tipper drivers, after they had had a considerable amount from the burrow pit owners, resorting to inflicting injuries on unsuspecting members of the public as they (tipper drivers) usually sell 4 in 1 for sharp sand between N180,000 and N240,000, while the 2 in 1 is sold between N140,000 and N160,000.
The chairman further explained that in exercise of act of extortion, the tipper drivers, also sell 4 in 1 for filling sand between N140,000 and N160,000 and 2 in 1 filling sand goes between N100,000 and N120,000, which according to him, was later discovered by the Edo State government, which frowned at the exploitative manner of the tipper drivers in inflicting hardship on the people; hence it resolves to harmonise all fees in the state by fixing control prices for sand which was increased to N40,000 from the former N37,500”.
” We the burrow pit owners usually give incentives in the area of FOC which we give as free trip to tipper drivers after three trips of sharp sand, but when Comrade Osaro Aigbekean discovered that, he made efforts to stop that free trip and as such went ahead to be forcefully collecting the N4000 per trip from burrow pit owners and if we oppose payment , he would send his drivers to some of our pits to even beaten up some owners in the presence of the Joint Patrol Team, that came on rescue mission”.
“Again if we did not pay the N4000 per trip, the tipper drivers would come to close down our Burrow pits and in the event they are coming to open it, they usually force the owner to pay between N2Million and N3Million before allowing their drivers to come to the pits”.
The burrow pit owner’s boss asserted that the tipper driver’s boss usually imposes an arbitrary fee between N15Million and N20Million if a burrow pit owner is trying to open a new pit, just as he has appealed to Gov. Okpebholo to step up efforts in resolving these impasses, maintaining that the activities of the tipper drivers are capable of causing break down of laws and order in the state, just as he had exonerated Comr Osakpanmwan Eriyo from these pending issues.
But reacting on behalf of the state chairman, Comrade Osaro Aigbekean and the entire tipper drivers, Comr. St. Martins Odigie, Comr. Peter Obasuyi, Comr. Joseph Idahosa and Comr. Benedict Omokhegbele, denied all the allegations, saying the drivers were aggrieved over the arbitrary increase in sand fees, noting they will not be part of the resolution meeting which was presided over by the Honourable commissioner for Solid Minerals and Mining, Edo State, even though their chairman was on ground, insisting they will not resume work until Mr. Governor personally intervene and make pronouncement on the issues
