From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Executive Chairman of the Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), Barr. Oladele Bankole-Balogun, today, said that the state has generated N33.8 billion in the First Quarter (QI) of the year.
He disclosed this shortly after being honoured by Pinnacle Builder Homes and Company in Benin
Mr. Bankole-Balogun said with the N33.8 billion, in the first quarter of the year, it gives an average of N9.8 billion monthly.
According to him “Under the leadership of senator Monday Okpebholo, the governor of the state, this state has been able to achieve, attain and sustain increased level of revenue and that is the reason why His Excellency, to this day, has not borrowed a single penny to execute virtually all of the gigantic projects he has engaged in.
“And to answer your question very simply, somebody sent me a message from one of the states and said, look, in the first quarter, they have achieved N19 billion in their state and I laughed because under this government in the first quarter of this year, Edo State has been able to achieve N33.8b, given us an average of N9.8 billion every month.
“Once or twice we have exceeded N10 billion mark and it has never been done and mind you, this far exceed the personal target that we have set for ourselves.
“So, to answer your question, we are doing much more better under this government than the government before”,
The EIRS boss said paying of taxes is a civic responsibility of every citizen and that the media must help to enlighten the public of the need to be tax compliant for the government to serve them better.
“We need your taxes to make Edo greater and greater again and to make Edo to continuously rising.
“We need your taxes and the message most go on and you as the media most help us to put that message across that paying taxes is not an option.
“It is not whether you like it or not. It is a civic responsibility and that civic responsibility behoves on all of us to ensure that we contribute our quota to building our state for now and for the future generation”, Bankole-Balogun said.