No more communal wars, over taxation in Ebonyi – Finance commissioner, Uguru

Dr. Leonard Uguru is the Ebonyi State commissioner for finance and economic development, has in this exclusive interview withThe Nations News Nigeriacorrespondent, Uchenna Okeh, said that there is no more over taxation and communal crisis in the state, since governor, Francis Nwifuru took over power, Excerpt:

Is there anything to celebrate in Ebonyi state, as governor Francis Nwifuru marks one year in office?

There are a lot of things to celebrate within the one year in office. A lot of things; infrastructure, human capital development, etc. within this one year, over six hundred kilometer of roads have been constructed and fully completed.

Infrastructure:

The Ebonyi State Pipeline production industry is now working fully. Infact with different line of production outside it used to be. And the polarization machine has been produced. And recycling machine has been bought for our recycling company which will soon be installed and start operation.

The Chuba Okadigbo international airport runway rehabilitation is now 99% ready, according to the contractor three days ago. And so, there are a lot of things to celebrate, but as a commissioner for finance, in my own area, we have too many things to celebrate as far this administration is concerned within this one year in office.

The administration of governor Francis Nwifuru has paid pension and arrays of gratuity since 1996 to 2023, worth #7.6billion. The arrays of pension and gratuities were owed by the former administrations in the state.

Also, last year December 2023, the civil servants went home with Christmas bonus of one hundred thousand naria each irrespective of your grade level. Functional for them, when they came to the office of the governor at the centenary city Abakaliki to thank him (Nwifuru) and as usual, the governor gave them breakfast and launch worth ten thousand naria for each civil servants.

On workers day, 1st May 2024, he equally gave civil servants launch with five thousand naria each. And a lot of things are ongoing, we have made a lot of headway in terms of NG-CARES program and at the last independent verification Agents, IVA, Ebonyi state government was able to generate $4.2m for NG-CARES. And we are still waiting the disbursement from the federal government.

The world bank projects and programs, we have signed different path with them and some of them, are already yielding fruits like the one called L-PRES (live stock productivity reliances economic support). The ministry of agriculture are already enjoining that now.

The state government led by governor Francis Nwifuru has done a lot, and over 800kms road and many other projects are ongoing now. The greatest among them, is the modern flyover at the Vanco junction, and that when completed will be the signature of this state, because it will show how flyover use to be, and not overhead bridge.

Security:

We have a lot to celebrate in Ebonyi, the most important of it, is the peace we are enjoying. For the first time, there is nothing like communal crisis in Ebonyi state. We are celebrating peace, we are celebrating human capital development and a lot of Ebonyians have been sent overseas for scholarships.

Six government functionaries have been sent to go to UK, Canada and USA to discuss with their universities to accept Ebonyians for masters program. And about one thousand Ebonyians will be sent overseas for masters program.

Revenue generation:

The ministry has done a lot in terms of IGR expansion. IGR consultant was appointed by the state government, in the name of IRS consulting. IRS was engaged since December last year, 2023 and they have already come out with a road map, on how to broaden the revenue base of the state through IGR.

And what we started doing is to stop the use of taskforce in Ebonyi state, as far as revenue generation is concerned. We started using moral persuasion, and you have to discuss with the tax payer and two of you will agree and come to terms on what to be paid, and how to pay it. And not using force, and that is what we are doing now.

And with this, in no distance time, the IGR of the state will be hitting five billion naria per month. Right now, the IGR is still over one billion naria per month.

That doesn’t mean that the people of the state will be taxed more. In fact, we have stopped giving market tolls in the villages. Not when you bring vegetables to the market, and you will be taxed, no. The state governor, Francis Nwifuru has stopped that.

What we intend doing is to block the leakages. The money collected by what we called contractors, the tax agents and the money goes to the private pockets instead of coming to the government account.

We start making effective and efficient use of the staff of the Ebonyi State internal revenue service in the collection of the IGR. And we employ the use of information technology through automated machines, we will get a lot of funds and at the lower cost per person or per organization.

Demolition of houses at the vanco junction, and ‘delay’ in paying compensation to the owners:

The ultra modern flyover at the Vincent Egwu Nwankwo junction popularly known as Vanco, is ongoing and it is one of the great signature of this administration. The ministry of lands and survey has enumerated the properties that were destroyed and the department of evaluation has evaluated them and came up with over two billion naria to be compensated to the owners. But the state government is still saying that it is too much, comparing the compensation the federal government is paying for the Lagos- Calabar coastal highway.

This is because the total compensation for the over seven hundred and forty kilometers of road was #2.75 billion, and then, the construction of flyover at the Vanco junction is costing over two billion naria. We don’t know what is happening and the state government is saying no. We need to look back to it. Outside that, the property owners at the vanco junction would have been paid.