Rivers State should no longer be allowed to depend largely on federal allocations every month, Ibok Ete Ibas, the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, has said.
Ibok Ete Ibas, who handed down the charge at the weekend in Port Harcourt, called on the State Revenue Service to move faster with internally-generated revenue (IGR) to drastically reduce dependency of the State on the Federal allocations.
The administrator also charged the Rivers Microfinance Agency (RIMA), now headed by a technocrat, Onene Osila Oshoko, to boost funding of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the State to create wealth and jobs.
The administrator challenged the RIRSB to automate systems and plug revenue leakages.
He noted that building public trust and transparency is the cornerstone of effective tax collection.
“The work you are about to embark on is not just about collecting taxes. It is about financial sustainability, trust, and accountability,” he stated.
He further tasked the Microfinance Agency with stimulation of local economy by improving access to credit for micro and small businesses, thereby empowering grassroots entrepreneurship and fostering economic growth.
Ibas spoke when he inaugurated the Board to serve with integrity and innovation and thus called on newly inaugurated Board members of key State agencies to approach their duties with urgency, integrity, and innovation, emphasising professionalism and public accountability above all else.
The administrator urged the appointees to be proactive and deeply committed to delivering on their critical mandates for the people of Rivers State.
The newly inaugurated Boards were the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB); Rivers State Senior Secondary Schools Board; Rivers State Internal Revenue Service Board; Rivers State Microfinance Agency; Rivers State Contributory Health Protection Programme Board; Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Board; and the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA).
Addressing the education sector, the administrator stressed the urgent need to enforce discipline, reduce overcrowded classrooms, improve infrastructure, and reverse poor performance indices.
He called for establishment of robust data systems to accurately track enrollment, teacher deployment, infrastructure, and student performance.
On healthcare, which he described as both a moral responsibility and a strategic priority, the retired vice admiral addressed the Contributory Health Protection Programme Board and the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Board.
He pledged that the Government would achieve its goal of providing affordable and free healthcare for vulnerable populations, including pregnant women, children, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions.
Addressing the RIWAMA, the administrator stated that sanitation is an issue of public safety, not mere aesthetics. He called on the Board to lead a comprehensive and disciplined approach to waste management.
The state of waste and refuse in Port Harcourt has attracted prolonged public condemnation since Ibas resumed duty since state of emergency. He thus stated: “The task before this Board is urgent and enormous. You must lead the charge to rid our cities and communities of filth. This is not just about clearing waste, it is about instituting a system of efficiency, sustainability, and discipline.”
He stated that the Government had already procured modern equipment for waste collection and landfill management and is constructing access roads to dump sites to improve operational efficiency.
He challenged the Board to explore innovative ways to convert waste into valuable assets such as energy and industrial raw materials, stating, “Around the world, waste is being transformed into power and products. Our state cannot be left behind.”
