Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has granted autonomy to the state internal revenue service in order to be more productive in its revenue generating drives.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a week induction programme organised for its new staff in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday, the Chairman of the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service(EKIRS), Mr. Muyiwa Ogunmilade, said the autonomy would further fortify the revenue generating body to operate independently and rake in money into the state coffers.
Disclosing giant strides made by the service to curtail financial drift, the EKIRS boss added that all loopholes and leakages had been blocked, while the government had also deepened transparency and accountability in revenue processing and generation in the state.
Ogunmilade said the government had with the employment, hired the services of capable and competent hands to enable the service meet its mandate in terms of revenue generation. He said the one-week induction programme would build the capacity of the staff towards optimal service delivery.
According to the EKIRS boss, “Effective IGR drive can only be achieved through robust ICT platform,” calling on government to support the service with state of the art facilities.
“I encourage the Ekiti people to always pay their rates and taxes always. Let me assure you thatthe government would continue to channel the available resources towards the provision of necessary infrastructural amenities that would improve the wellbeing of the people,” he said.
Also, the state Head of Service, Mr. Bamidele Agbede, who declared the induction ceremony opened, charged the newly recruited staff to strategise and display the right dexterity that can guarantee the boosting of the IGR drive of the state.
He submitted that improved IGR was the only way the state government could survive the dwindling allocation from the federation account.
Agbede commended Ogunmilade for transforming the state internal revenue service.
The HoS, who charged the newly recruited staff to intensify efforts at increasing the IGR for the development of the state, maintained that the present administration was committed to excellent service delivery hence the need to engage the new staff.
Some of the newly engaged staff, including Esther Akinyemi and Kunle Adojutielegan, lauded the recruitment process and promised to put in their best towards improving the revenue base of the state.
