For generating over N165m last year, the Chairman of Ondo State Internal Revenue Service (ODIRS), Mr. Tolu Adegbie, has commended the state judiciary, saying the amount generated is the highest in the history of the third arm of the government in the state.
This is just as the judiciary arm of government promised to do more this year.
Adegbie stated this at the inauguration of a newly built toilet and another renovated toilet at the premises of the State High Court Headquarters for judiciary workers on Friday in Akure.
He explained that it was the first time that the service embarked on such projects similar to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for another arm of the government with the approval of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
The chairman also said that the judiciary generated N136 million in 2020, and his office had always given back by grading roads, and providing street lights.
According to him, this is a form of encouragement to areas and people doing well in terms of payment of tax and land use charge to the government.
“The service has always rewarded with merits and it is the reason, with the approval of the governor, that the toilet was built at the state high court.
“In early 2021,we had a meeting with all the top 20 generating MDAs to make sure that in 2021, figures go up.
“We got approval of the governor and when it got to the turn of the judiciary, they requested for toilet, that once they get that toilet, they will work like never before.
“By November last year, when we looked at the figures, the state judiciary made the highest amount of collection revenue in the history of Ondo State last year,” he said.
Earlier, the Chief Judge of Ondo State, Justice Williams Akintoroye, appreciated ODIRS for the gesture and promised to give back, noting that the construction of the toilet would eradicate open defecation and bring more comfort to litigants, lawyers, judges and judiciary staff at the High Court.
The CJ explained that more magistrate courts would be created in some towns to bring dispensation of justice closer to the grassroots and by extension generate more revenue into the coffer of the state government.
Akintoroye promised that the judiciary would improve on the amount gotten last year and reach N200 million for the state.
He said it was feasible, with the creation of more courts in areas, communities, and towns where there were none.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, who was represented at the event by the Attorneys-General and Commissioner for Justice, Sir Charles Titiloye, urged the judiciary to continue the revenue generation drive for the state.
Akeredolu called for more incentives for the people working at the registry as a way of encouragement.
The governor also revealed that the administration had begun full implementation of the autonomy law for the state.
The event was attended by top staff of the judiciary and government officials including the state Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Pastor Emmanuel Igbasan.
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