By Ewa Innocent, The Sight News
ABAKALIKI: In a bid to block all financial leakages, loopholes and to create Internal Revenue Services, Ebonyi state government has reconstituted her Internal Revenue Board.
inaugurating the Board, Ebonyi state Governor, Chief David Umahi, charged the members of the Board to ensure that the revenue scope of the state is widened in order to make the state self-reliant.
He urged the Board to clean the system and increase the revenue of the state and to use five percent of it to run the Board, adding that the lean financial resources of the state can’t pay the members.
The Governor called on the Board members not to see their appointment as political patronage but as a social contract and an opportunity for all of them to work together where they will stand as investment promoters and organize first talk shop to enlighten Ebonyians that business is better than political appointment.
Meanwhile, he lamented that Ebonyi state revenue remains the least in the entire nation while over 100 trucks of lead are being carted away from the state on daily basis and called for synergy between the Board and the legal team.
Earlier, the Attorney general and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Cletus Opoke, said in view of the meagre resources of Nigeria and Ebonyi state in particular, the state Executive Council members considered and approved the amendment of the Internal Revenue Board to be managed by a seasoned chartered accountant.
The Chairman of the Board, Chief Mike Chukwu in his acceptance speech said the task of the Board is enormous and requires team effort to succeed, assuring that the Board will extend their hand of partnership to all agencies of government.
Chief Chukwu commended the governor for finding them worthy to serve their fatherland in such a capacity and promised to discharge their duties with humility, zeal, dedication and commitment.
