RSG Warns Against Revenue Diversion

The Rivers State Government has warned that the era of diversion of public revenues to private pockets is gone.
The Special Adviser to the Rivers State Governor on revenue matters, barrister Harrey Ideozu, said this during an interactive session with operators of the informal sector in Port Harcourt.
Ideozu said that the state was implementing some critical reforms aimed at making it effective and efficient in the discharge of its responsibilities to the people.
He said that the government was eliminating all traces of misappropriation and mismanagement of public revenue.
In his word, :the era of diversion of public revenue to private use has been issued red card by Governor Nyesom Wike”.
The special adviser also said that the state government was repositioning the informal sector to enable it impact positively on the reduction of poverty in the state.
According to him, the present administration’s policy on taxation and revenue matters was anchored on three major principles which are: transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of all stakeholders in the state.
Also speaking, the Acting Chairman of the Rivers State Internal Revenue Service (RIRS), Sir Alawari Ndu, said that the informal sector was very critical to government in the execution and implementation of policies and programmes.
Ndu also stressed the need for operators of the sector to ensure regular payment and  join hands together with the government to move the state forward.
Also speaking the Director Informal Sector RIRS, Mr. Israel Egbunefu urged the traders to pay their taxes directly into Rivers State Government Accounts, to help check mate the activities of touts in the sector.