By Friday Idachaba
Lokoja – Mr Kehinde Oloruntoba, Kogi Commissioner for Budget and Planning said the state government would spend about N800 billion in four years to reposition the state.
Oloruntoba said this while speaking with newsmen after defending his ministry’s 2017 budget at Kogi House of Assembly on Tuesday.
He said that 30 per cent of the money would come from the private sector, 40 per cent from donour agencies and multinational corporations and 30 per cent from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and allocations from the Federation Account.
Oloruntoba said that the move would give the state a place among comity of developed states in the country.
He attributed lack of development of the state to political office holders in the past administration, but assured that the Yahaya Bello-led government was poised to transform and reposition the state.
The commissioner said that the target of N32 billion internally generated revenue given to the state’s Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) was realisable because it had been given necessary working tools and expertise to operate.
”One of the first things Gov. Yahaya Bello did on assumption of office was to grant autonomy to BIR, providing it with all the resources to function effectively,” he said.
He further said the state government approved for versatile NAN-H-118
Reposition
By Friday Idachaba
Lokoja, Feb. 14, 2017 (NAN) Mr Kehinde Oloruntoba, Kogi Commissioner for Budget and Planning said the state government would spend about N800 billion in four years to reposition the state.
Oloruntoba said this while speaking with newsmen after defending his ministry’s 2017 budget at Kogi House of Assembly on Tuesday.
He said that 30 per cent of the N800 billion would come from the private sector, 40 per cent from donour agencies and multinational corporations.
According to the commissioner, 30 per cent will come from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and allocations from the Federation Account.
Oloruntoba said that the move would give the state a place among comity of developed states in the country.
He attributed lack of development of the state to political office holders in the past administration, but assured that the Yahaya Bello-led government was poised to transform and reposition the state.
The commissioner said that the N32 billion internally generated revenue target given to the state Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) was realisable.
”One of the first things Gov. Yahaya Bello did on assumption of office was to grant autonomy to the BIR, providing it with all the resources to function effectively.
He said that the state government also approved for the board to recruit versatile and energetic men and women to work and appointed a seasoned administrator as the chairman to manage the affairs of the board.
”Combination of these, with the blocking of revenue leakages and the political will on the part of the governor will ensure that the board works without interference and ensure success.
”The target of N32 billion given to the board for 2017 is realisable. We have done our findings; we did not just allocate figures.
‘’Prior to this period, what accounted for IGR was PAYE (Pay As You Earn) and nothing more,” he said.
On staff verification and salary impasse, Oloruntoba said the reconciliatory committee was set up to look into omission names of some state civil servants, a development he said arose from the outcome of the audit raised for the exercise.
He, however, assured that every cleared staff would be paid on or before Feb. 28.
“As for those who have issues and are being cleared now, all of them will be paid on or before March 31.
‘’The state is not having difficulties with payment of workers’ salaries.”