The Enugu State government has grown its internally generated revenue (IGR) to 31% of her total revenue, State Accountant General, Sir Paschal Okolie, has announced.
Okolie who was addressing top government functionaries at a mid-year budget review at the weekend said that the half year revenue receipts of N12.4billionalmost equaled federal statutory allocation of N13.5billion within the period.
He described this as a remarkable achievement on the part of revenue collection agencies in the state for the period, considering that the total IGR receipts for 2016 was N14.2billion.
The impact of this performance is already being felt by Enugu State public sector workers who are promptly paid their salaries on the 25thday of each month, as well as pensioners and non-permanent workers who are being promptly paid, the accountant-general said.
He announced that the State Governor, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has further directed that all civil servants in the state be paid promptly on the 23rd day of each month, and that this directive has been complied with.
“Apart from this, capital projects are being executed across the state in massive proportion as if we are in oil boom.
He explained that this renewed commitment to transparency and creativity is being promoted by Gov. Ugwuanyi’s “prudent, transparent and accountable” leadership.
“We are working on every aspect of internally generated revenue leakages in order to close the gap the shortfall in statutory allocation may create” Mr. Okolie said.
During the State Executive Council Meeting at the weekend, Gov. Ugwuanyi commended the Chairman of Enugu State Internal Revenue Service, Chief Emeka Odo, for his creativity, hard work and commitment which has led to recovery of massive stolen funds by unscrupulous public officers colluding with corrupt commercial bank officials to defraud the state to the tune of billions of Naira.
