Edo State government has given marching orders to Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the state to block all leakages and fraud in their Departments and Ministries or face the repercussions. The decision was reached at a seminar on enhancing internally generated revenue in the state.
The state Head of Service, Mr. Jerry Obazele, who issued a communiqué at the end of the seminar said the top civil servants have however resolved to block all loopholes and work towards increasing the state’s Internally Generated Revenue to cushion the effects of the dwindling revenue from the federation account.
He said: “it was generally agreed that there is an urgent need in Edo State to mobilize all efforts to increase internally generated revenue in the State owing to the dwindling receipts from the Federation Account and other external sources of revenue to it.”
He said: “Permanent Secretaries in Edo State Civil/Public Service as the Accounting Officers of their Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government should take necessary steps to ensure that all the revenue accruable to their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies are duly identified, collected and remitted intact to Edo State Government Treasury. That the Permanent Secretaries should take further necessary steps to ensure that all revenue leakages are blocked.
According to him, “Permanent Secretaries and Directors in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government should realize that as the Accounting Officers, they will be personally and vicariously held liable for any corrupt practices particularly as it concerns internally generated revenue mobilization, collection, control and remittances in their various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.”
He urged Permanent Secretaries along with their Directors to harness the human and other resources in their Ministries, Departments and Agencies to provide result-oriented leadership and human capacity building towards enhancing internally generated revenue in their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He commended Governor Adams Oshiomhole for his efforts and passion towards enhancing internally generated revenue in the State.
