Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu lamented that the internally generated revenue of the state was low.
He said there was a need for improvement in the revenue generation of the state.
The governor said the state was generating internally a sum of ₦1.5billion monthly as revenue but the money was low. He, however, said the amount was an improvement when compared with the ₦700million that was being generated by the previous administration.
Akeredolu stated this at the swearing-in of a new Head of Service, Mr. Oluwadare Aragbaye. The event was held at the International Event Centre, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
He said his administration would not give room for embezzlement of public funds and would continue to block all loopholes through which some unscrupulous elements in the service stole government money.
The governor said, “It is incumbent on all of us who serve to assist in blocking all loopholes through which some mindless persons siphon public funds. While I commend the board of internal revenue for the remarkable improvement in IGR of the State, we must all accept that it is still very low.
“There are still yawning gaps in the revenue generation drive in the state. This administration shall view very gravely, all cases of sabotage in our revenue generating efforts. We await the outcome of the trials on the matters already before the court. Any civil servant who acts disgracefully will be sanctioned.
While congratulating the new Head of Service (Aragbaye) on the new position, Akeredolu urged him to come up with measures that would propel the civil servants in the state to be more hardworking.
“The new Head of Service is enjoined to put in place measures which will ensure that only those who work hard earn wages. I expect to see a remarkable shift in the organisation of departments and parastatals for optimum service delivery to the people.
“It should not be challenging for the government to know those in its employ. We should be able to assess the inputs of our workers. We must move away, decidedly, from a practice which encourages indolence in public service,” Akeredolu charged
