The Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Adewale Oshinowo has underscored the feat being recorded by the state government in the execution of developmental projects, as a result of its accountability, prudence and efficiency in management of the available scarce resources.
Oshinowo who made this known at a media briefing held in Abeokuta, to appraise the 2016 budget performance of the state, said the feats were achieved largely due to government’s financial prudency and its concept of revenue harmonisation to block leakages in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as its drive against multiple taxation between the State and Local government.
Oshinowo also noted that other government’s initiatives such as HomeOwners’ Charter, Land use Acts, Okada Riders’ permit and many other taxes initiatives were introduced to boost the State Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
‘’The State has not over-stretched its resources but has properly harnessed them to achieve the best to boost the state IGR. We have put in place sound financial management to be able to get what we have today to finance our developmental projects across the state’’, Oshinowo said.
Among the numerous achievements of the administration according to the Commissioner, were Commissioning of model schools, constant human and infrastructural development leading to the Award of the Best State University in Nigeria won by the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), commissioning of affordable Workers Estate, rolling out of Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (ARAYA), purchase of two new transmitters for the upgrading of the Ogun State Television (OGTV) transmission and among others.
Oshinowo further stated that the State is presently adjudged to be one of five States that made the best stride towards the national frontier of good practices by World Bank ranking and confirmed by the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) to take over 70% of national investments.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Adedayo Adeneye, re-emphasised government’s commitment towards the completion of all projects and creation of enabling environment for business to thrive in the State, urging the people of the State to assist government by paying their taxes and levies promptly.
“It is imperative for us now to promptly pay our taxes to the government coffers as you can see that tax payers were judiciously used to finance our developmental projects across the three Senatorial Districts of the state, so we still intends to do more to fulfill our electioneering campaign promises”, Adeneye said.
He urged the residents of the state to be patient with the state government as all the ongoing projects would be completed on or before 2019, saying that government would leave no stone unturned in the completion of all existing projects.