Some residents of Okitipupa in Ondo State have criticised the enforcement of the state’s Residency Card tagged: “Kaadi Igbeayo.”
It was imposed by the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led government.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports the state government introduced the cards to store the biometric data of all residents of the state to access social services.
NAN further reports that the state government announced last week that all residents in the state must possess the card to access health care, education, electricity, good roads and others.
Some of the residents told NAN that the card was a mere extortion, adding that all social services were obligations of the governments.
They also decried the retrogressive trend of the state in spite of its huge allocations as oil producing state, saying that they had not benefitted enough from the present administration.
Folake Ogunkanmi, a trader, described the card as a mere extortion on the public, saying that the government should not enforce it on people.
Ogunkanmi said: “This government is extorting us.
“I do not see reason why they should force us to collect a card for N2,000 if they meant well for us.”
A civil servant, who preferred anonymity, said the state had nothing to show for the tax collected from workers and huge amount allotted to the state as oil producing state.
The civil servant said: “The state had been backward since this present administration came on board.
“No good roads, no water, no electricity, nothing to show as oil producing state.”
Ayorinde Ogunshakin, a motor mechanic, also said the public has not benefitted anything from the government, adding that the card was a way of raising poverty level in the state.
Ogunshakin said: “The economy of this state is not favourable to we artisans and even government workers.
“Yet the government still wants to be collecting the little we have.”
A hairdresser, Bola Oluwole, decried the power outage in Okitipupa town since December 2014, stressing that till date the government had not done anything about it.
A primary school teacher, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that teachers had been directed to delist pupils whose parents did not have the residency cards.
The teacher said: “We have been directed not to register any pupil whose parent do not submit their residency card pin when we resume, but I do not know the reason.”
A cleric, Rufus Akinlure, said: “I think this state needs a lot of prayers because I do not understand the rift been experienced lately.
NAN.