By Tope Musowo Lagos Secretaries to State Governments (SSGs) in All Progressives Congress (APC) states, have called for the restructuring of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) agencies and processes by adopting a private sector model and application of modern technologies to improve their revenue base.
Rising from a two-day inaugural quarterly meeting of the SSGs held in Lagos, the group also recommended the setting up of Security Trust Funds in APC controlled states as part of proactive measures to address all security challenges, while also appreciating the eff orts made so far by the federal and state governments in tackling insurgency.
Secretary to Lagos state government, Mr. Tunji Bello, who read out a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, said the SSGs, in recognition of the Social Investment Programmes already rolled out by governments, agreed that further development of more initiatives would reduce social tension, youth restiveness and poverty. Th e SSGs, according to Bello, also suggested that more resources be deployed to intra and interstate infrastructural development to facilitate eff ective integration and easy movement of people, goods and services.
Th e participants also called for more collaboration and cooperation at both bilateral and multilateral levels amongst the APC states to promote common focus that would address issues of agriculture more eff ectively. Th e meeting agreed to continually share information, ideas and knowledge through its quarterly meetings and the secretariat to promote synergy across the member states and facilitate greater cooperation for sustainable development.
Eighteen APC SGSs, the representative of the World Bank, Ms. Eme Essien Lore, Country Manager, Nigeria, International Finance Corporation (IFC), attended the meeting, which was declared open by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, represented by his Deputy, Dr. (Mrs.) Idiat Adebule
