- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Delegated Legislation, Hon. Femi Bamisile, has described the ranking of Ekiti State as first in revenue collection in the country, as a signal of progressive governance being savoured under Governor Biodun Oyebanji’ s leadership.
Bamisile, who is representing Ekiti South Federal Constituency II in the Green Chamber, stressed that the progressive increase in the Ekiti’s annual IGR from N17.03 billion in 2022 to N29.82 billion in 2023, buttressed the fact that Oyebanji’s tax policy was acceptable to the citizens of the state.
As outlined in the report by the Joint Tax Board (JTB) at its 155th meeting, at Zuma Rock Resort, Suleja, Niger State, Ekiti State ranked first in the 2023 Annual Growth Rate Ranking. The state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) increased from ₦17.03b in 2022 to ₦29.82b in 2023, representing a 75 percent growth rate.
Bamisile, in a statement made available to TopNews in Ado-Ekiti, on Saturday, hailed the citizens of the state for their surfeit of contributions to revenue growth, saying their embracement of the government’s tax policy brought about the radical increase in the state’s internally generated income.
The All Progressives Congress stalwart added that this signposted that the tax policy of the current administration was neither burdensome nor outrageous to bear by the citizens.
Bamisile hailed the governor for being down -to -earth in dealing with Ekiti residents and skilful in grassroots politics, which he said helped in bridging the existing wide gulf between the government and the governed and ushering in progressivism in all spheres of the economy.
He appealed to the populace to continually discharge their statutory obligations to government, by shunning tax evasion, so that the remarkable progress being made in IGR sector can improve substantially in 2024.
He added that accomplishing the feat without slamming heavy and harrowing taxes on the citizens, confirmed how statute and benevolent the governor was in dealing with the citizens.
“To me as a political leader in this state and one of the strong backers of Governor Oyebanji, I am dazed and proud of this favourable ranking, which showed that inclusive governance was deeply taking root in Ekiti State.
“It is no mean feat for Governor Oyebanji to have shored up the annual revenue earnings of Ekiti with a staggering sum of N12.79b in 2023. It was a clear evidence of good governance, trust and that our people had taken full ownership of this government.
“I know of a fact that our people had never complained about tax imposition against the current Governor at any time. This corroborated the fact that his tax policy has been fair and bearable to the citizens.
“There is nothing that can’t be achieved when people have trust in a leader. That was what Governor Oyebanji has just demonstrated by this rating.
“I join myriad of Ekiti citizens, particularly people of my constituency in congratulating him as he sets Ekiti on a progressive and faster pace of economic development”, Bamisile said.
