OGHA Advocates Streamlining Of Revenue Sources, Addresses Linkages

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA
Ogun State House of Assembly has directed that there should be proper need to streamline revenue management system between the state Internal Revenue Services and the Ministry of Transportation with a view to achieving a more transparent ticketing system being handled by the transportation unions.
The assembly hereby condemned the high level of leakages and other sharp practices arising from fake and alternate revenue tickets leading to underpayment in revenue to the state government.
Deputy Speaker, Oludare Kadiri, who led the Tripartite Ad-hoc Committee set up by the Assembly to address issues of fake ticketing stated this shortly after the stakeholders’ forum held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta on Wednesday.
The forum had in attendance the Commissioner for Forestry, Tunji Akinosi; Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, as well as that of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe, and Chairmen of all transportation unions and other stakeholders.
The deputy speaker said: ” From now henceforth, there should be proper streamlining of revenue management system between the state Internal Revenue Services and the Ministry of Transportation with a view to achieving a more transparent ticketing system being handled by the transportation unions.”
Hon. Kadiri, while declaring open the forum explained that the event was organised to unravel and block the revenue leakages; obtain useful information and revenue generation machinery, towards providing enabling environment to improve the internally generated revenue of the 20 local councils in support to the monthly dwindling returns from the federation account which had being negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He hinted on the importance of legislative backup at charting a new course for sustainable revenue generation, with a renewed assurance that the assembly would respond swiftly to curtail illegal revenue collection and fake ticketing in all the 20 local government councils and the state.
In another development, the Transition Chairmen of Abeokuta South, Odeda and Abeokuta North local government councils have their budget performance appraised by the members of the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs led by Hon. Akeem Balogun with a charge on them to redouble their efforts in the task of grassroots development.
Taking turn to reel out the budget performance of their respective councils, the chairman, Abeokuta South local government council, Mr. Ayodeji Shomide, said 50 open stalls were constructed at Asero garage and sinking of borehole at Isale Ijeun, Abeokuta.
Also, his Abeokuta North counterpart, Prince Babatunde Tella, said grading of roads in the various wards as well as sinking of motorised boreholes were also carried out within the period under review.
On his part, the Vice Chairman of Odeda local government, Mr. Musiliu Akindele, who stood in for the chairman, Mr. Semiu Lawal, noted that 16 lock up shops and 20 open stalls were constructed at Osiele and Kila market respectively, while another 40 open stalls were built at Gbonnagun market.