—- I will work within the financial capacity of the state.
Jacob Ogodo, Abakaliki
Ebonyi state governor, Chief Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru said he is committed to his avowed resolve not to indulge in borrowing, not even a dime for the execution of projects in the state as he will not create a debt burden for future generations .
He said that he would rather work within the financial capacity of the state as enabled by the federal allocation and internally generated revenue and that he is equally committed to offsetting the debt he inherited on assumption of office.
The State Commissioner for information and State Orientation, Mr. Jude Okpor at the weekend made this known in a statement he signed and made available to newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
Okpor announced that reports from the Debt Management Office detailing the Domestic Debt Data for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory has shown that Ebonyi is the least indebted state (all inherited) among the states in the Southeast, and Nigeria at large.
He also disclosed that Ebonyi State came second in the recently released 2024 BudgiT Fiscal Transparency League Table among the states in the federation, describing it as a tremendous improvement on the 2023 report and a testament of frugal management of resources of Governor Nwifuru.
The statement reads in part: “It is no longer news that the governor, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru is committed to his avowed resolve not to indulge in borrowing, not even a dime, for the execution of projects in the state.
“He does not believe in creating a debt burden for future generations. He works within the financial capacity of the state as enabled by the federal allocation and internally generated revenue. He is equally committed to offsetting the debt he inherited on assumption of office.
“Moreover, any effort at evaluating the indices for growth, development, and quality governance should not be selective. It should be comprehensive, including statistical facts provided by reliable bodies – both private and public
“For instance, verifiable information from the Debt Management Office detailing the Domestic Debt Data for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory readily shows that Ebonyi is the least indebted state (all inherited) among the states in the Southeast, and Nigeria at large.
“More so, Ebonyi State came second in the recently released 2024 BudgiT Fiscal Transparency League Table among the states in the federation. A tremendous improvement on the 2023 report and a testament of frugal management of resources by FON-led administration
On the issue of tax contribution, he said: “Furthermore, a recent publication by the National Bureau of Statistics on tax contribution by states and revenue allocations to states in 2024, Southeast, was the worst in southern Nigeria.
“Viewed through the prism of the current tax reforms, where it succeeds, only creative Governors will be able to keep their state on the terra firma of meaningful progress.
Reacting on the issue of creativity by the governor, he said “Nwifuru’s ingenuity in this light could be seen in what South-East states contributed to the VAT pool and what they received in 2024: