Delta IGR hits N5.7bn

Delta State’s internally generated revenue has hit N5.7 billion mark in January this year, a feat which the state governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, said would be sustained as the administration was committed to realising its dream of “Delta beyond oil.”


Governor Uduaghan told tax administrators at a retreat put in place by the state board of internal revenue in Asaba, on Monday, that there were several areas where taxes were not collected yet.
The governor directed the management of the board to post revenue officers to all ministries and parastatals to exploit new revenue areas, adding that hence forth, all revenues must be collected through the board.
According to him, “we want to run the state like an oil company,”expressing optimism that the board would be able to collect revenue for the payment of workers’ salaries.
As part of its strategies, the governor said the state was putting in place infrastructure that could generate revenue, so that its dependence on federal allocation would be less.
He said the dream of Delta beyond oil, which was a reality, was predicated on the volatility of oil, with some more countries joining the league of oil producing nations while countries like America that depended on Nigeria for oil had less dependence.
“The effect is that very soon the prices of oil will drop. All we are doing is to prepare for that period,” Uduaghan explained.
The governor used the occasion to X-ray his achievements in Agriculture, infrastructural development amongst others.
Earlier, the chairman of the board, Mr Joel Onowakpo, recalled that since the state’s consolidated revenue bill passed into law in 2009 came into existence, the board had undertaken several reforms which had resulted in the increase of revenue.