Delta State Government on Wednesday said it got N30.5 billion through Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, from January to June 2020.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, who reeled out the figures for State’s IGR from January to June 2020 while addressing journalists in Asaba, said the State government would not be distracted by hirelings who were bent on derailing it through deliberate misinformation over alleged embezzlement of funds.

According to him, N7.8 billion was realised in January; N5.3 billion for February; N6 billion for March; N3.9 billion for April; N3.5 billion for May; and N4 billion for June.

He noted that flexibility in the prices of crude oil impacted the IGR during the period under review.

Aniagwu said the state government in the wake of dwindling revenue occasioned by COVID-19 has had discussions with major stakeholders; the contractors, labour unions among others on how to mitigate the challenge.

He, however, expressed the view that with the rise in the price of crude oil, the situation was most likely to return to normal as issues of funding projects and payment of salaries may no longer be a challenge

Aniagwu who was reacting to reports in some sections of the media accusing one of the permanent secretaries in the state of allegedly embezzling funds restated the determination of the State Government to remain focused on delivering its policy of a ‘Stronger Delta’ in the next three years.

He said the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration would continue to uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in governance.

He said government business was done on the basis of memos, regretting however that the authors of the reports failed to give details of the memo which they based their reports on.

The Information Commissioner insisted that any Permanent Secretary was a Chief Accounting Officer, and must be involved in any memo relating to his ministry or parastatal to adequately and appropriately advise the government on the decision to take.

Aniagwu said: “As a government, we want to state it for the umpteenth time that we would not be distracted. We will stay focus, the transparency and accountability which have become the watchword of this administration will remain.

“We will not leave the track of building a ‘Stronger Delta’ which is why even in the midst of this challenging time triggered by COVID-19, we have continued to supervise ongoing projects, and we will continue in spite of these campaigns of calumny because of 2023.

“We are not concerned about 2023, God knows who will take over in 2023. We are rather concerned about deepening our ‘Stronger Delta policy, and that we will not lose sight of”.