. Signs Imo Revenue Administration Law 2020
The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has assured the state Judiciary of improved services and welfare.
Governor Uzodinma gave the assurance during a meeting with serving and retired judges, members of the Judicial Service Commission, Executive of Magistrate Association and Chairmen of Customary Courts at the Government House Owerri.
He promised to look into the plight of judicial workers in the state to make them more effective.
He assured that his administrations would ensure independence of the three arms of government, stating that the role of the judiciary cannot be over-emphasized as an arm of government.
He added that the potency of any government is largely dependent on the cooperation of its judicial arm, expressing further that any serious government must strengthen its Judiciary to maintain law and order.
On their plight as raised by the Chief Judge of Imo State, Paschal Nnadi, ranging from salary arrears to non-payment of gratuity, severance and pension, the governor said: “I want to look at the budget of 2020 to know to what extent provisions were made for all those things, whether they are carried in the budget or not to know whether we can plead with the Speaker to send a supplementary request to ensure that these things are done and done very well in a manner that we dont solve a problem and create another.”
Governor Uzodinma called on the judicial workers to work harmoniously without any form of rancour among them so as to instill confidence in the minds of the people that the judiciary is still the last hope of the common man.
But, Justice Nnadi had congratulated the Governor on his electoral victory at the Supreme Court and thanked him for making funds available for the furnishing of the Justice Oputa Court.
Justice Nnadi however beckoned on the governor to redress the plight of judicial workers in the state which include payment of severance packages to judges, gratuity, pension to retired judges, provision of vehicles to serving Judges and payment of allowances of Judges from May 2016 to April 2019.
Meanwhile, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Wednesday, February 26, 2020, assented to the amendment to Imo State Revenue Administration Law 2020 as part of efforts to boost the economy of the state.
He said that the law would assist in improving the revenue base of the state by closing revenue leakages occasioned by the engagement of multiple consultants who rip-off the state.
On the operational status of the law before the amendment, Governor Uzodimma noted: “Before now, the law provides for consultants that collect 10% of the total revenue, 10% goes to the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), 20% to ENTRACO and 10% to OCDA. At the end of the month, 50% of the IGR is gone, leaving the state with only 50% of the internally generated revenue collected.”
