The Ogun State Government says its councils must become creative and improve on their Internally Generated Revenue.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Chief Olajide Ojuko, who gave the charge to local government transition chairmen and heads of local government administration, added that such would boost the socio-economic growth of the state.

Ojuko spoke, according to a statement on Sunday, at a workshop for local government transition committees in Abeokuta, adding that situation in the state required both state and local governments to look inward on ways to increase their IGR.
 
“This cannot be achieved unless all stakeholders involved come together in one direction,” he added.

The commissioner, who said the purpose of the workshop was to create an enabling environment to deliberate on how to boost the IGR, added that the forum would look at how to ensure a clean environment at the local government level.

He said, “There is a proposal before the state government to set up a mobile court in the councils to monitor the areas during the monthly environmental sanitation, while those caught violating environmental laws would be prosecuted. The local government authorities could even generate more revenue through refuse collection and disposal.”

The Chairman, Ogun State Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Kunle Adeosun, said allocation from the Federal Government had dropped drastically and it had affected government’s performance across the state.

He lamented the low IGR at the local government level, which he attributed to leakages in revenue collection from the operators, and non-payment by potential task payers.

The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Olusola Sonuga, pointed out that there was no way governance could be successful without carrying the local government along.

He noted that other ways of improving council’s IGR was by employing environmental marshals in the local government areas to enforce environmental sanitation, saying such would also provide employment opportunities.

The Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, Mojeed Ekelojumati, said the association would contribute its quota to help the government to boost its IGR.