By Wale Akorede
Ondo State Internal Revenue Service has shared a sum of 100 Million Naira between the State and the 18 Local Government Areas.
The money was collected as Land Use Charge for the year 2020 (January to May).
This was done consequent upon the mandate delegated to ODIRS for the levying and collection of Land Use Charge in the State and sharing same between the State and the Eighteen Local Government Areas in line with the sharing formula provided for, by the Land Use Charge law 2014.
Recalled that the Land Use Charge Law was passed by the Ondo State House of Assembly in 2014 and asserted to the then Governor.
The implementation commenced immediately however; no funds was shared with the 18 Local Governments of the State up until 2018.
During the presentation of the cheque at the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Tolu Adegbie the Executive Chairman of Ondo State Internal Revenue Service gave an account that the sum of # 317.6m less initial set up was shared between the state and local government in 2018 and 2019 and the sum of #100m accrued so far in 2020 is now being shared today.
The cheque for the State has already been given to Accountant General of the State while he was here with the HCF to present the cheque for the LGAs to the JAAC members.
The cheque was presented by the Commissioner of Finance Mr. Wale Akinterinwa to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Segun Odunsaya in the presence of Ondo State Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) members.
Presenting the cheque, the commissioner said this present administration has consistently shown transparency and accountability in all facets of governance and a good example is by living up to the expectation of sharing the land use charge funds between the Local Government and State Government respectively.
Responding for the Joint Allocation Account Committee members, Mr. Toyin Ajagunmale appreciated the Executive Chairman ODIRS, Commissioner for Finance and the Government for the commitment of Mr. Governor, Arakunrin Odunayo Akeredolu SAN, for the accountability and transparency in respect of the Land Use Charge and in the State as a whole.
