We need N800bn to reposition Kogi, says Yahaya Bello’s govt

The administration of Yahya Bello, governor of Kogi state, says about N800 billion is needed to reposition the state.

Kehinde Oloruntoba, commissioner for budget and planning, said this on Tuesday while speaking with journalists after defending his ministry’s budget at the state house of assembly.

He said 30 percent of the money would come from the private sector, 40 percent from donor agencies and multinational corporations, and the remaining 30 percent from internally generated revenue (IGR) and allocations from the federation account.

Oloruntoba said the move would place the state among its developed counterparts in the country.

He attributed lack of development of the state to political office holders in the past administration, but said the government of Bello was poised to transform and reposition the state.

The commissioner said the target of N32 billion IGR given to the state’s board of internal revenue (BIR) was realisable because it had been given necessary working tools and expertise to operate.

“One of the first things Governor Yahaya Bello did on assumption of office was to grant autonomy to BIR, providing it with all the resources to function effectively,” he said.