Abia State monthly IGR shores up to N500m

The Abia Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Eze Chikamnayo, has said the state’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had increased to N500 million.
Chikamnayo said this while briefing newsmen in Umuahia on the outcome of the state Executive Council (EXCO) meeting on Wednesday.

He said that before now, the state’s IGR was between N150 million and N200 million monthly.
The commissioner attributed the increase to efforts of the government to ‘’plug all the loopholes in the revenue collection process.

He said that on account of the improved finances of the state, the government decided to recall the non indigenes who were sacked from the state civil service in 2011.
Chikamnayo said that at least 2,500 disengaged workers had so far been recalled.
He attributed the sack of the non-Abia workers to the dwindling revenue of the state government occasioned by the minimum wage policy.

The commissioner also said that plans were underway to establish pilot grazing fields in the three senatorial districts of the state.

He said that the measure was designed to check alleged menace of herdsmen and incessant crisis between some Abia communities and the herdsmen.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some communities in the state, had at different times in the past, accused the herdsmen of destroying their farmlands while grazing.
Chikamnayo also said that EXCO resolved to establish more Liberation Farms in the agrarian communities in the state as part of the initiatives to boost food production in the area.
He said that the state government’s youth empowerment programme would also be rotated among the 17 local government areas in the state.

The commissioner said that the EXCO commended the complementary role of law makers at the state and National Assembly for the introduction of empowerment programmes in their constituents.
He said that the programme had not only created employment for the teeming unemployed youths, but also created employers of labour in the state.
Chikamnayo expressed delight that the proposed seaport in the state had received the approval of the appropriate government agencies.

He said that most of the projects, initiated by the current, administration would be completed and inaugurated this year. (NAN)

Igbo Is The Strongest Pillar Of My Administration - Jonathan

Seven states; Rivers, Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Anambra, Enugu and Delta converged yesterday in Enugu under the auspices of the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo to mark this year’s Igbo day at the Micheal Okpara square.

The annual event which is stipulated to commemorate the efforts of Igbo heroes who contributed steeply in championing the cause of Igbo had as its theme, “uplift the homeland” with an inter-denomitional service.

While presenting President Goodluck Jonathans’ address, his representative, Minister of Power, Prof. Chinedu Nebo expressed profound gratitude to Igbo for,”being the greatest pillar of support to my person and administration. My administration have taken cognizance of the unalloyed support of the Igbo. Igbo is the ethnic group that has supported my administration greatly and I promise that it will not be taken for granted”.

“This is evident in the level of Federal attention the infrastructure in the south-east is receiving as examplified and in the roads, commencement of international operations at the Akanu-Ibiam airport, Enugu, the dredging of the river Niger to boost inland water ways transport. The Akanu-Ibiam airport will have all the trappings of an international airport. Federal Government is working assiduously to build Aerotropolis and inject vibrancy at the cargo terminals, befitting of international standards” said the President.

President Jonathan disclosed that Igbo has been frontal in the believe of the co-operate existence of Nigeria adding that the Igbo is the highest investor in Nigeria’s economy even as he explained that,’Igbo carry the banner of Christianity and culture as they traverse the country in search of greener pastures typical of a republican’.

He further urged Igbo youths to eschew the vices of kidnapping, armed robbery and assassination while appealing to them to imbibe the virtues of their forebearers in their various endeavours.

Contributing, the Governor of Enugu state, Barr. Sullivan Chime represented by the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Chief Joe Mamelu urged,”Igbo to uphold the practice of speaking Igbo language wherever they find themselves to forestall the language from going into extinction”.

In his remark, the President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Chief Gary Enwo-Igariwey poisted that the way forward for Ndigbo is,”to speak with one voice in a clear direction. Emphasis must be in generating and directing these energies towards growth poles. We must unite in pursing commercial and industrial objectives and much more importantly, political challenges”.

“We reiterate for emphasis that Ndigbo must seek the Presidency of this country at the expiration of the tenure of the south-south. This is in keeping with our stand that equity,justice and fair-play demand that we, the only zone remaining to hold the prime office in the country, should be allowed by our fellow Nigerians to so occupy it in unbroken succession after the south-south. This is an appeal to the political class of Ndigbo to put their house in order. We cannot afford to play a second fiddle forever” Igariwey noted.