Sanwo-Olu sends important message to Nigerian governors over spending
- Governor Sanwo-Olu has called for prudence in state spendings
- Sanwo-Olu made this known on Thursday, November 5, in a message to his colleagues in other states
- The governor said excessive spending has been a major set back for development in some states
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Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state governor, has advised his counterparts across the country to look into their expenditure profile and do away with unnecessary spending.
Vanguard reports that Sanwo-Olu made the call on during the 22nd annual tax conference of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) held at Victoria Island, Lagos.
Legit.ng gathered that he said that cutting unnecessary spending would increase the state's revenue for the government to have more resources to meet the basic needs of the people.
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He said that state executives must work toward having a better reform process, adding that he was yet to use state resources to purchase any vehicle for himself since he assumed office as governor on May 29, 2019.
The governor said that it was not necessarily fanciful that governors must buy brand new vehicles when there was no need for them.
Sanwo-Olu said:
“We need to look at our expenditure profile as chief executive of our state and ask ourselves, where can I cut the red tape; what can I do away with so as to increase the revenue of my state or even make available more money for my state.
“What I have done till date is that I have not purchased any single official vehicle for myself, for any of my personal staff or any of my family members from the government purse.
“If you see me have a convoy of 10 vehicles, these are all vehicles I was using during my campaigns. Governor Nasir El-Rufai joined me in one of my cars this morning and I can tell you that vehicle was one of the vehicles I used for my campaign; it is not brand new."
The governor said that there was a need to increase revenue generation without totally dependent on revenue from oil.
He charged tax practitioners, especially members of CITN, to take a leadership position and put themselves in the rightful position in Nigeria to increase government revenue and change the narrative in the country.
Speaking at the event, Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai commended Governor Sanwo-Olu’s leadership in managing the affairs of the state and his effort to rebuild Lagos after the massive destruction that marred the peaceful protests organised by the youth recently.
He said:
“Whatever happens in Lagos concerns everybody because it is the economic hub of the country while Kaduna State is the political hub. I can assure you that all the 35 governors will support your rebuilding the Lagos project."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Governor Sanwo-Olu apologised to the residents of Lagos state following the shooting of peaceful protesters at Lekki toll gate on Tuesday, October 20, by security operatives which reportedly resulted to casualties.
It was reported he said when the state government imposed a 24-hour curfew on Lagos state and the youths defied the directives, there was no leader of the protesting group to talk to.
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Source: Legit.ng
