The Kogi state governorship candidate for the All progressives grand Alliance (APGA), Kingsley Idoko Ilona says he has the capacity to raise the internally generated revenue of the state to N25 billion within six months.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, he said it is unfortunate that Kogi state is among the poorest states in the country in spite the vast human and natural resources that abound in the state.
Assuring that he would be transparent and ensure equity and accountability if voted into power, he said there is no way Kogi would achieve the desired growth with a salary burden of about N4 billion, equivalent of what it earns from the Federation accounts monthly.
The advertising expert disclosed that a team of financial experts which he commissioned had already come up with a blueprint on how he can boost the revenue base of the state.
Stating that he is the most prepared of the ten candidates jostling for the governorship seat of the state he maintained that a boost in the revenue base would ensure good governance and infrastructural growth in the state.
Ilona noted: “In the past two three years I have put in a team of financial analyst and consultants together, I paid hundreds of millions to help us develop a blueprint for Kogi state and we can generate between N20-N25 billion within 6 months to one year.
“It’s not a fluke. We have identified about 55 different companies to be established in Kogi state if God gives us power. We can do these things. When our President Bola Ahmed Tinubu became Lagos state governor, the yearly internally generated revenue of Lagos state was N13 billion.
“But under one year he took it to N69 billion. Now we all know what Lagos state is doing every month. That is what we are saying. Kaduna too is doing the same thing. I watched an interview with El-Rufai before he became governor where he said they were generating N800 million , now they are doing N13 billion monthly.
“This is a state that is a war torn state. Since el-Rufai became governor of Kaduna state, the only industry that he attracted to Kaduna is Olams and Olams unfortunately because of the war , the banditry and kidnapping the factory have not been able to produce. How did el-Rufai did it, payee. They just automated the payee and started getting the right IGR.”
Continuing, he noted: “I believed among the 10 contestants, I gave the best plan for the state. I am the most prepared candidate to lead the state. I have transformed a company that I started about 20 years ago with less than N8 million to over N31 billion worth. I turned it around ony own and I can do that for the state with the vast resources scattered across the state.
“Now our governor tells us that he met the IGR of the state at 350 million and in 2018 he took it to N1 billion and in 2019 to N1.1billiom. I think about seven months ago they say they are doing N1.7 billion. With all due respect to the Governor, it’s a blatant lie from the pit of hell.
“He can’t tell us that in a state that has these industries and everything is making N1.7 billion. What about the money you get from trucks. So it’s either it’s not properly automated to get the real tax and all the rest of the. That is what is happening within.”
