“We Have Improved On Our IGR” Says Akeredolu

The Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on Monday said his administration has improved the Internal Revenue Generations (IGR) of the state to meet the yarnings of the people.

Akeredolu diclosed this at the induction programme for 171 newly recruited employees for the Board of Internal Revenue, held at the State Information Centre (SITA) in Akure, the state capital.

It will be recalled that the State had on May, 2019 employed about 221 workers for the same board.

The Governor announced that the state was able to generate N2.2billion for the month of January in the year 2020, saying his administration has surpassed the N700million that was used to generate on monthly basis by his predecessor.

According to him, “when we came on board, our IGR was between N600million and N700million on monthly basis. It’s gladdens my heart that we have improved rapidly.

“In 2018, we were able to generate N1.5billion on monthly basis. In 2019, the state generated about N1.7b on monthly basis and just last month (Janaury), we were able to get N2.2billion”

Akeredolu charged the new workers of the agency to be more creative and focus on exponential increase of the State revenue generations.

He noted that the agency was reorganised to engender professionalism and adoption of innovations around Information and Communication technology to ease revenue administration and collection.

Akeredolu described the recruitment as unprecedented, saying this is the first time in the history of the State that about 400 workers would be employed for the Internal Revenue Board.

The governor urged the new staffers not to join the league of those who are found of putting the state money in their pockets, imploring them to be contented with their enumerations and salaries

“This is not a place where you make money without working. This is place where your input we decide your salaries. Whatever you generate monthly will determine payment of your salaries.

Chairman, Ondo State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Tolu Adegbei, said since the creation of the agency, it has always surpassed its target yearly.

Adegbei explained that the state targeted N20billion for year but the agency was able to generate N25Billion and the board also move the state target for the year 2019 from N25billion to N30billion.

The State Head of the Service, Mr. Dare Aragbaye, commended the state governor for embarking on the recruitment exercise, which according to him as boosted the the revenue drive of the state.

Aragbaye described IGR as a lifeline for every government that has a vision to create a prosperous state.