IGR: Ogun targets over N100b in 2021

James Ogunnaike – Abeokuta

Despite the decline in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) last year due to the effect of COVID-19 pandemic, Ogun State government says it has perfected plans to generate over a hundred billion naira as IGR in 2021.

The State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun made this known on Friday evening  at a special Iftar (breaking of fast) with members of the House of Representatives, the State House of Assembly, the State Executive Council and the Body of Permanent Secretaries.

He stressed that his administration was fully committed towards putting the state on strong financial and economic footing through its creative approach.

Abiodun, while pointing out that the dip in the IGR of the state in 2020 was as a result of the inability of the state to earn from the Pay As You Earn (PAYE), the tax incentives given to industries in the state and the lack of revenue from the education sector, disclosed that his administration had raked in N21b in the first quarter of the year.

He hinted that the state planned to rake in over a N30b in the second quarter.

“Our Internally Generated Revenue dipped in 2020 and there are some reasons for that. There was no Pay As You Earn (PAYE) for us during the COVID-19 period. We gave incentives to industries because they couldn’t work during that period and because we are the education capital of the country, a lot of our IGR was  coming from the tertiary institutions and because there were no students in schools, the revenue did not come in”.

“Let me tell you what the good news is. The good news is that first quarter of 2021, we already got N21b. Last year, we did N58b, so we’ve already got almost half of what we got last year in one quarter. This present quarter, we will do at least N30b and by the end of this year, by the grace of God, we will do over a N100b in Ogun State”, the governor stated.

Abiodun added that his administration discovered that Land Use Charge was not being paid in the state and inherited a database of 14,000 people from the previous administration.

He disclosed further that the  discovery led his administration to put in place different mechanisms, which according to him, has helped the state to realise a database of Land Use Charge for over 1.5million people, noting “this will translate into a lot for our administration”.

“We are being creative; our Land Use Charge, nobody is paying. When I resumed office, we inherited a database of land use charge of 14,000 people in the database. We’ve put different things in place and today, we have a database of land use charge of over 1.5million people. 1.5million from 14,000 in two years, you can imagine what that will translate into,” he said.

The governor further disclosed that his administration would soon be launching Ogun State Land Administration and Management System (OLAS), saying the system would help residents of the state who had built on government properties to come and regularise their papers.

“We now have a system that we call OLAS, Ogun State Land Administration and Management System. We are still going to launch that and what is that system? That system using ICT, we are going to ensure that all those that have built, we are starting with government owned properties alone. All those that have built on government properties will have to come and regularise their papers”.

“We are not talking about those that built on any other land; we are talking of government land alone, so we bring them in to regularise their papers,” he added.

Commenting on the state of the Nation and the intended reversal of the new minimum wage by some states, the governor said that his administration being one of the first to sign the minimum wage into law was fully committed towards the continuous payment of the new minimum wage to its workforce.

“We are one of the first states to sign up the minimum wage and we also began the implementation. It was tough for us to implement because COVID- 19 had struck us, FAAC’s allocation had reduced and our IGR had dropped, yet we implemented the new minimum wage. And because we have promised that we are going to implement it, I said whichever way it took, we must implement it. We’ve since commenced the implementation of the minimum wage”.

“Not only did we implement it, my colleagues are now reversing the minimum wage because they can’t pay it. Some of my colleagues have even asked me if I am sure I can keep on paying the minimum wage. I told them that Ogun State is not like other states, that in Ogun State, we have to keep on paying the wage, So, I am committing to the very excellent public service that I have, and that I will continue to pay the minimum wage,” he stated.

On the forth coming local government elections, Abiodun, while urging members of the party to put their best candidates forward democratically, said that everything that would be done must be in consonance with the principles of democracy.

Speaking earlier, the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Noimot Salako-Oyedele who commended the governor for being the governor of all, equally thanked him for his quality leadership, which she noted has been responsible for the giant strides his administration recorded in two years.

Also, the Speaker of the House of Assembly,  Olakunle Oluomo, urged residents of the state to continue to contribute their quota towards the continued development of the state.

He charged everyone that has the privilege of serving in the present administration in the state to do so by adding value to what the governor is doing for the state.

Speaking on behalf of members of the Federal House of Representatives, Jimoh Ojugbele, representing Ado-Odo/Ota Federal Constituency, commended the governor for flagging-off the reconstruction of the Atan-Agbara Road, which was neglected for years.

While noting that “the governor is developing all sectors of the state without leaving out any senatorial district”, Ojugbele expressed the readiness of the House of Reps members from Ogun to rally behind the governor, appealing to Civil Servants in the state to continue to give the governor all the support he requires so that the state can continue to move forward.

On her part, the Head of Service,  Selimot Ottun lauded Governor Abiodun for his vision for the state and passion for the civil servants, assuring that they would continue to support the incumbent administration towards the realisation of better Ogun state.

Vanguard News Nigeria 

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