By Newsmata
The Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) has debunked claims of a substantial drop in internally generated revenue (IGR) of the state government made by Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former commissioner in the state.
Ifaluyi-Isibor had on his Facebook page on Sunday alleged that the state’s IGR had declined by N1.3 billion, dropping to N3.4billion in February from N4.7billion announced in January.
He also alleged that the EIRS confirmed that non-state actors were diverting government revenue to private accounts.
But a press release by the Head, Corporate Communication of EIRS, Courage Eboigbe, denied the allegation saying that the state IGR still stands at an average of N10 billion monthly.
He said “It is disheartening and disingenous that supposedly educated Edo State citizens would spew out such nonsense for political expediency. Such actions not only mislead the public, but they also undermine the efforts of those working tirelessly to ensure sustainable economic development in our State.
“His claims are far from the truth. The only truth is that the Revenue Service has attained and is sustaining an average of N10 billion to date.
“In view of the above, we hereby state; The IGR Report for February is very impressive and stands at over N9.5b, a figure never attained by Isibor’s paymasters.
“That the EIRS firmly dismisses the claim of revenue drop of Edo’s IGR falling from ₦4.7 billion in January to ₦3.4 billion in February, labelling Isibor’s narrative as dubious, deliberately misleading, and dishonest. Our record confirms a stable upward trajectory, which starkly contrasts the narrative put forth by the mischievous Isibor.
“That the EIRS denounces the misinformation, criticizes Isibor for allegedly spreading unverified figures, and insists that the IGR remains on an upward trajectory.
“That the EIRS rejects the notion of separate IGR sources, emphasizing that all government revenue is consolidated into a single figure irrespective of revenue stream.
“That the Revenue Service reiterates its commitment to tackling illegal revenue collection by unauthorized individuals while urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities by non-state actors.
“Overall, this statement aims to restore public confidence, reject alleged misinformation, and reaffirm the agency’s professionalism in revenue collection.”