Minna – Gov. Sani Bello of Niger on Wednesday inaugurated a Committee to Review the Workings of its Revenue Board towards efficient service delivery.
The governor also inaugurated another Committee to Resolve the Bottlenecks to ensure the smooth take off of the Sunti Golden Sugar Company in the state.
Bello said the revenue committee would come up with policies and identify issues related to the current procedures in the state internal revenue collection.
“It is no longer news to us that all the states in Nigeria and Federal Government can no longer meet the financial obligation due to fall in crude oil price, the fall does not mean we can no longer live our lives.
“We have opportunity in the state to live a comfortable life and work hard to improve on our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“The state has potentials and capacities to generate a lot more than the N400 million being generated at the moment.
“A lot of leakages have been ignored in the past. The state did not save for the rainy days like today. Just imagine that we have to borrow to augment and to pay three months salaries.
“That is not a way forward because it will come to a stage that no one will want to lend us money again”, he said.
Bello urged the committee members to be proficient and diligent in the discharge of their duties.
“Come out with policies that will make us move away from depending on federal allocation like beggars, to a more productive and financially strong/viable state.’’
He told them to review all issues related to the state’s revenue board and how to strengthen it and identify all taxable entities.
“Review and collect all proposals and recommend implementable ones. Identify challenges and proffer best ways to enhance performance”, he said.
Bello directed the committee on Sunti Golden Sugar to review activities within the host areas to ensure peaceful co-existence.
“Review all activities between the host community and the company. It has come to my hearing that for some selfish reasons, some individuals want to use the community to cause agitation.
“Liaise with the host community to find out what their problems are so that they can be taken to the company on behalf of the state government.
The governor said the state wants investors, but not to the extent that it will affect the lives of the people negatively.
“It is very important that we get it right to avoid future problem. As government, we will provide an enabling environment for genuine investors”, he said.
Responding, Malam Nasiru Maiturare, Vice Chancellor, IBB University, said they would use the opportunity to harness potentials to make the state financially sustainable.
The committees were given six weeks to submit their reports. (NAN)
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