Ademola Adeleke, governor of Osun State, has fired quarry site consultants and revenue collectors.

The governor has set up a committee to study the state’s solid mineral resources and give advice for improving the economy. This decision was made public on Monday in a statement released by the Secretary of the Solid Minerals Committee, Hashim Abioye. Mr. Samuel Oyedotun leads the committee. This, he maintained, was a necessary measure to reverse the state’s steep revenue decline.

Abioye stressed that quarry sites were no place for shady money collectors. He said: “The committee is in receipt of information that some unauthorized agents have been collecting revenues purportedly for the state government on quarry sites, which end up in private pockets. “Consequently, as part of the mandate of the committee, individual or corporate consultants and revenue collectors on quarry sites should henceforth desist from plying the sites, as a new arrangement will soon be announced in that regard in conjunction with the Office of Solid Minerals.

“Quarry operators and stakeholders in the quarry business are to within 48 hours from the time of this announcement contact the Committee on Solid Minerals for information about the new arrangement. The numbers to call are 08101006724 or 08135889525.”

Ada Peter