Governor, Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State , has reaffirmed his administration’s dedication to strengthening the state’s revenue generation capacity to fund recurrent expenditures through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), without imposing undue burdens on citizens.
According to a post on the state government’s Facebook page yesterday, Oyebanji disclosed this while commissioning the newly established Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS) Area Tax Office in Ikole-Ekiti.
He emphasised his vision of building a self-sustaining economy and highlighted that achieving this goal would reduce the state’s dependence on federal allocations, ensuring greater financial independence.
“The opening of this tax office is a strategic initiative to decentralize revenue collection and enhance efficiency in tax administration,” said Oyebanji.
He stressed the importance of IGR as a sustainable funding source for government operations, particularly amidst declining federal allocations.
The governor also expressed satisfaction with the significant progress made in increasing the state’s IGR, which, he noted, has enabled his administration to fulfil most of its campaign promises across key sectors such as education, agriculture, health, infrastructure, governance, and human capital development.
“Our target, by the grace of God, is to fund our recurrent expenditure entirely from IGR. If we can pay workers’ salaries from IGR, whatever we receive from FAAC can be used for developmental projects. This goal is achievable, and I am glad that the taxes you pay are visibly transforming our state,” he stated.
He also commended the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service for its efforts in boosting revenue collection and urged the agency to intensify public sensitization campaigns.
The governor called on citizens to fulfil their civic responsibility by paying taxes promptly, assuring them that funds generated would be channelled into providing critical infrastructure and improving the standard of living.
Also, the Chairman of EKIRS, Olatona Olaniran, applauded the governor’s commitment to transparency and effective utilization of public funds, which he said has fostered trust and compliance among taxpayers.
He added that the visible impact of ongoing developmental projects has encouraged residents to embrace their civic duties.
Olaniran further emphasised that a prosperous and self-reliant state depends on collective responsibility, urging citizens to maintain consistency in paying taxes.