Metro

FCTA mobilises revenue generating agencies, targets N250bn monthly IGR

Published

2 months ago

October 7, 2023

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has mobilised its revenue generating agencies to improve its Internally Generating Revenue (IGR) to N250 billion a month.

Mr Chinedum Elechi, Mandate Secretary Economic Planning, Revenue Generation and Public Private Partnership (EPRGPP) Secretariat, FCTA, stated this in Abuja on Friday.

Elechi told journalists after a meeting with revenue generating agencies that FCTA had the capacity to generate from N200 billion to N250 billion a month as IGR.

“We think that FCTA has the capacity to do N250 billion a month, on a good day and that is the sort of target we are looking at.

“We can even do N300 billion a month in some good periods. So that is what we want to work out.

“However, in trying to grow revenue, it will also have a human face, because we are going to be dealing with issues of multiple taxation, so things are going to be streamlined.

“We are going to make sure that taxation has a human face,” he said.

Elechi stressed the need for the citizens to perform their civic duty of paying their taxes as at when due.

He explained that the meeting was to find ways to improve IGR in FCT, which he said was pivotal to the aspiration of making Abuja one of the developed capital cities of the world.

Elechi said that the meeting was necessary for all the revenue generating agencies to be on the same page and work as a team towards tapping the full revenue potential in the FCT.

Describing the meeting as “exploratory”, the secretary stressed the need to lay down some strategies on how to improve IGR.

He added that oil revenue was no longer sustainable, stressing, “for us in the FCT, the fall back is the IGR, and we have to work together to make a difference.

“The goal is not just to harness what we have but also to improve it. This means that the more we grow our revenue, the better it will be for all of us.

“The message is that every person in this room has a responsibility to generate more revenues for the FCTA.”

Elechi reminded the revenue generating agencies that their mandate based on the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu was to grow IGR.

He assured the agencies that the secretariat would find ways to incentivise performance by agreeing on certain percentages that would go to agencies based on what they generated.

“We have all agreed that we are going to work in synergy for the purpose of growing the IGR of the FCT.

“This is key because revenue is everything. Without revenue, without income, FCTA will not be able to deal with development issues that require funds.

“The Minister of the FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike has made it clear that he is prepared to run the FCTA with IGR and whatever comes from the federation account will be extra,” he said.

On blocking revenue leakages, the secretary said that the agencies would work together in synergy to ensure that all revenue due to FCTA goes to the FCTA.

Earlier, the Director, Administration and Finance, EPRGPP, Mr Prospect Ibe, explained that the objective of the meeting was to interact, document challenges and suggest ways forward.

The goal, according to him, was to enable FCTA to achieve its mandate.

During the interactive session, Dr Babagana Adams, Director, Department of Outdoor Advertisement and Signage, said that the department generated N3 billion in three years and expressed commitment to improve revenue generation.

Also, Alhaji Dan Maradin, Head of Commerce, FCT Water Board, said it had increased its revenues from an average of N1.5 billion annually to over N2 billion.

“We were hovering around N150 million to over N300 million monthly,” he said.

On his part, Alhaji Malik Tukur, Director, FCT Inland Revenue Service, stressed the need for inter-agency collaboration as against working in silos.

Tukur said that FCTA would generate more revenue with strong collaboration among revenue generating agencies.

Metro

Navy Destroys 15,775 Litres Of Stolen Crude Oil In Ondo

Published

1 week ago

November 20, 2023

Desmond Ukafor

Men of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Igbokoda, Ondo State, over the weekend, intercepted and destroyed 15,775 litres of stolen crude oil in the Ilaje axis of the state.

The Commanding Officer of the base, Captain Wasuku Alushi, who estimated the value of the products to be N13,251,000, said the operation was carried out by the anti-Crude Oil Theft (COT) patrol team.

According to Commander Humphrey Nnaji, who spoke on behalf of Alushi, the products were destroyed in accordance with the mandate of the joint taskforce Operation Delta Safe on COT.

He emphasised that the team had received intel on illegal bunkering within the axis, after which a wooden boat popularly known as a “Cotonou” laden with crude oil was tracked and intercepted.

“The wooden boat was intercepted about 12 nautical miles (NM) off the coast of the adjoining Ojumole and Obe communities in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State. On sighting naval personnel, the crew abandoned the boat and fled,” he said.

While reiterating the commitment of the base to stamp out the menace of COT and other crimes in Igbokoda and its environs, he maintained that the base will intensify surveillance within the axis.

Headline

Car Crashes Into A Building In Lagos, four Hospitalized

Published

1 week ago

November 20, 2023

Alero Danjuma

No fewer than four male adults have sustained severe injuries in an accident involving a Lexus car along Liasu Road in the Idimu area of Lagos State.

The incident happened on Sunday at about 5 am.

The vehicle was said to be moving at top speed when it lost control, swerved off the road and rammed into a shop opposite a Catholic church in the area.

The impact of the crash also damaged a building behind the shop thereby affecting some of its occupants who were still asleep.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the occupants sustained varying degrees of injury in the process.

An eyewitness, Sodiq Aderemi, said the injured victims were labourers who were employed to work in the building situated on the premises.

He said, “The vehicle was coming from the Council bus stop when it got to this point and crashed into the shop. It destroyed all the goods in the shop. The people living in the building behind the shop were labourers and they were close to 15. They work in an uncompleted building on the premises and sleep there at night. While four of them were seriously injured, two others fell unconscious. They were later resuscitated after a while. The bricks of the fence fell on them while they were still sleeping.”

Another resident who identified himself only as Abidemi said the car was stopped by an electric pole which was also damaged in the process.

He said, “The accident would have been fatal if not for an electric pole that stopped it. Thank God, it also happened in the daytime and not when the owner of the shop was in there. However, she was called this morning that her shop had been destroyed and she came around with her husband. They have gone to report the incident at the police station.

The injured victims were said to have been taken to the hospital where they are currently receiving treatment.

Although the driver escaped unhurt, he was nabbed by residents while trying to run away from the scene of the incident.

One of the residents, Adekunle Daisi, who stopped him from running away said, “The occupants of the car were three. Two of them escaped while one of them was caught. He was brought back to the point where the accident happened. Some aggrieved persons wanted to set the car on fire and also lynch him before they were later prevented from doing so. He was later forced to follow the injured victims to the hospital where he was told to pay for their hospital bills.”

Some of the victims who sustained minor injuries were also treated at the hospital and discharged immediately.

The police had yet to arrive as of the time our correspondent left the scene of the incident.