Delta Beyond Oil: It is a Mirage without Board of Internal Revenue – Omovie
Francis Sadhere
Chairman, Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Delta State House of Assembly, Hon. Dennis Omovie, has said that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan’s ‘Delta Beyond Oil’ policy would have been a mirage without the State’s Board of Internal Revenue.
He said the State’s Revenue Board remains a very significant agency to the state Government.
Omovie disclosed this when he led other members of the Delta State House of Assembly Public Accounts Committee on a working visit to the Chairman and members of the Delta State Board of Internal Revenue at the new magnificent Revenue House Headquarters in Warri.
The Public Accounts Committee Chairman said they were aware of the numerous achievements recorded by DBIR and have decided, as part of their responsibilities, to visit to see things for themselves and to ask the Chairman the magic he employed that has given birth to improved revenue generation since he assumed office.
“Suffice it to say that the Public Accounts Committee is a carefully selected committee and there is no gainsaying that fact that it is the only committee provided for by the Nigerian Constitution whose rights cannot be taken away. We are talking about Delta Beyond Oil and we in (PAC) know that there will be no Delta Beyond Oil without the Board of Internal Revenue.”
“And if it is our responsibility to ensure that the Board of Internal Revenue is provided for, it is therefore our responsibility to oversee the Board. It beholds us to come to this place to see how you are faring, to know the hows, the dos and don’ts and the workability of the agency that holds our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which form the basis of our independence with or without oil,” Hon. Omovie stated.
He said “It is not as if we are not aware of what is happening in Delta State as far as this agency is concern. This is a magnificent edifice. We also know that you have one if not two in Asaba. And throughout the nooks and crannies of Delta State we also know that you have revenue House. It has never been like this before. We thank you. We commend you.”
In his response, the Executive Chairman, Delta State Board of Internal Revenue, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, expressed gratitude to the committee members on the working visit, saying that there will be no achievement without the grace of God, support from Governor Uduaghan and the magnanimity of the House of Assembly who graciously gave them the law that empowers the Board to exercise her responsibilities.
On Delta Beyond Oil, Hon. Joel-Onowakpo said, “The whole idea is that we cannot continue to live like the larger Nigeria entity. That we should begin to think about looking for ways to create platform for self sufficiency so that we will take our eyes away from oil revenue and the Board of Internal Revenue had no option than to run with the vision.”
“And the vision is that if we continue to develop our critical infrastructure with the oil revenue we are getting, on the long run, the non-oil revenue income will be far more than the oil revenue. Dubai is an example of a country that used her oil revenue to improve her environment and today it has become a tourist destination.”
