Shortfall: Gov Ahmed embarks on IGR drive

*Set to block all leakages *Money accruing to state to be domiciled in banks Shortfall: Gov Ahmed embarks on IGR drive *Set to block leakages *Money accruing to state to be domiciled in banks KWSG moves to block leakages Despite the financial crunch being faced by the Kwara State Government as a result of the dwindling resources from the Federal Government's coffers, the state's Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has reportedly concluded plans to embark on moves to bail out the state from its financial quagmire, National Pilot can report.

To this end, the governor had reportedly mooted the idea of improving the state's Internally Generated Revenue from its monthly generation of about N800million to over one billion naira. According to sources close to the governor, the move was part of his plans to meet his monthly salary obligation and other financial requirements despite the state's financial challenges. The governor, it will be recalled, had recently announced his readiness to send an IGR agency bill to the state House of Assembly with a view to driving an improved revenue in the state in view of the slide in the state and local government shares from the federation account. One of the sources, who described Ahmed approach as audacious, hinted that he would harmonise all the state's accounts by directing that all the expected IGR is domiciled in the bank in order to block leakages. The source added that Ahmed, who had reportedly vowed not to leave debt at the expiration of his tenure in 2019, had also clipped his financial requirement in order to deliver on his electioneering promises. The source said: ''The government is making moves to plug all the leakages to increase the state's Internally Generated Revenue. With this, all money coming to the coffers of the Kwara State Government must go through the banks in order to foreclose its diversion. ''The governor is determined not to leave any debt for his successor because he believes that anybody coming after him will be elected based on his ability to deliver on his electioneering promises. He wants to leave a legacy of performance. ''The governor is conscious of the fact he must out shine his first term's achievements and that is why he is determined to work as if his life is depended on the scale of fire. ''The government since the short fall in federal allocation started has been clipping the financial commitment or requirement to deliver, especially his payment of salary to the civil servants in the state. Another source divulged that the governor all along has been sourcing bank loan to argument the lean federal allocation to meet the salary obligation and other financial commitment. The source, however, disclosed that the option appears threatened as some of the banks are no longer willing to make such loan available for the state to argument its lean shares from the federal coffers. ''When the financial crisis occasioned by the short fall began in the state, the governor sourced bank loan to argument the lean allocation from the federal coffers, which served as an escape route. ''But that route is facing challenges as banks are no longer willing to avail such loan to argument the lean allocation from the federation account. Despite this, the governor remains undaunted because of his determination to render quality service. But the only option now is to increase IGR, prune spending and block leakages of money accruing to the state. ''The governor should be commended for his ingenuity and commitment to the workers' plight, because if we compare the state with over 20 other states that could not pay salaries and meet other obligations, you will appreciate the efforts of our governor because despite the financial challenges, the state has been able to pay salary'', the source said. This medium, however, gathered that the government is hopeful that with measure put in place to increase its IGR and block leakages, the state's financial unease will stabilize in the next three months. ''The government is hopeful that the financial unease in the state will stabilize in the next three months because of the initiative of the governor. However, the present situation is expected to affect some of the welfarist programmes of the state government such as Ramadan food, hajj and lesser hajji sponsorship'', one of the governor's allies noted.