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Edo State government has threatened to probe, arrest and dismiss any head of local government administration (HOLGA) or council personnel involved in shady deals, resulting in the declining internally generated revenue (IGR).
The deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, made the declaration yesterday at the Government House, Benin City, during a close-door meeting with HOLGAs and local government liaison officers. Also in attendance were leaders of the three recognised transport unions: Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and ANNEWATT.
Shaibu said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may be invited by the state government to look into the affairs of the councils. He said, “Only incompetence, abuse of office, lack of accountability and truancy, among others, can result in the 18 local government councils generating a paltry sum of N3 million monthly as internally generated revenue.”
He said the IGR profile of Egor local government alone was N1 million while the remaining councils generated N2 million, describing it as criminal and unacceptable to government. “It is also impossible for motorcycles and tricycles to generate more revenue than cars and buses put together.
“We will invite EFCC to investigate your activities for the period under review and whoever that is culpable of any mismanagement be sacked, arrested and be made to face prosecution in a competent court of jurisdiction,” Shaibu added.
However, the deputy governor directed HOLGAs and the liaison officers to immediately constitute a credible revenue task force across the 18 LGAs to ensure proper collection of revenue for the purpose of accountability forthwith.(leadership.ng)
