Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his special interest in Ekiti State by freeing more resources to the state to carry out laudable people- oriented and legacy projects in the last three years of his administration.
Governor Oyebanji, who stated this during the official commissioning of the ultra-modern Ekiti Revenue House in Ado Ekiti, disclosed that his administration has been commissioning a wide range of projects including roads, electricity, hospitals and water to commemorate his third anniversary in office.
The governor, who also disclosed that his government has not taken any loan to finance the various projects embarked upon by his government in the last three years, said that his administration is committed to sustaining the state’s development goals.
He stressed that IRS played pivotal role in propelling the state’s economic growth and contributing massively to the well-being of its citizens.
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He lauded President Tinubu for appointing Dr Zacch Adedeji as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), describing the appointment as a round peg in a round hole as it speaks to the commitment of the President to merit and excellence.
“I can stand here to boast and beat my chest that every project we have done in Ekiti state up to now, we have not taken a loan to do any one of them. And that speaks to the fact that we have a president who is transparent, who allows the resources to be shared the way it should be shared.
“One thing is for you to have the money at the center, another thing is for the center to give it to you, but for once, in our history, Mr. President has given to us more than our fair share of the federation allocation.
“Once again, I thank Mr. President for his support, he’s the one that should take the glory after God for whatever achievement we have achieved in Ekiti State as a government.
“And I also plead with you that by the grace of God, Mr. President will run for a second time. All those reforms that Mr. President instituted that some people are abusing him for is what we are gaining here. It’s the gain that we are using to implement most of this project. Mr president has been good to us and I have no doubt in my mind that when the time comes for you to say thank you, you will do that through your vote, ” Oyebanji said.
Governor Oyebanji used the opportunity to assure the Joint Tax Board (JTB) that his government will embark on process to pass a law unifying the state’s tax administration through necessary legislation because of his belief and support for the national tax law as signed by Mr. President to harmonise all the taxes that will free more resources to the sub-nationals.
Commissioning the project, the Executive Chairman of the FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji commended the governor for bequeathing the edifice for revenue generation service in the state as well as the various landmark infrastructure he has embarked upon in the state describing him as a competent hand to deliver dividends of democracy to Ekiti people.
Adedeji stated further that there is no better advertisement for payment of taxes than letting the people see what government is spending their money on saying innovation and fiscal discipline can achieve a lot if the right people like Governor Oyebanji are at the helm of affairs.
In his welcome remarks, the Executive Chairman of Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service, Olaniran Olatona expressed appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for according the service the necessary support to make headway among other states of the federation.
Olatona, who noted that the edifice was not about self-aggrandizement but born out from the need to overcome the operational limitations of the present location which hindered vital collaborations and data mining essential for modern revenue administration.
He added that the revenue trajectory of the state has been transformative with an average monthly internally generated revenue risen significantly much that Ekiti came first in IGR growth rate published by JTB and National Bureau Statistics last year.
He affirmed that collective efforts have moved the state from 35th position to one of the first 16 states in the country, adding that the new data-driven and digitally enabled framework will ensure greater efficiency, transparency and collaborations as well as accountability framework that will give the low-income earners a breathing space in tax administration.
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