Uzodinma, Ihedioha bicker over Imo’s IGR profile

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, and his predecessor, Emeka Ihedioha are at loggerheads over the state’s internal revenue profile.

Uzodinma had, during a meeting of Imo stakeholders he hosted in Owerri on Saturday, said that he met the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) at N600 million when he took office on January 15, 2020, and has improved it to N1billion.

• Insecurity: Women lament loss of husbands, children at war front
• Kidnappers in FCT begin collection of ransom through banks

But Ihedioha countered him, saying that it was far from the truth.

Ihedioha, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Chibuike Onyeukwu, said that it was on record that his Rebuild Imo Administration on the assumption of office on May 29, 2019, met the IGR at N245million.

Giving a breakdown of the state internally generated profile during his seven-month rule, Ihedioha said that in June 2020, the IGR was N254 progressing to N370.

He said that from then till the Supreme Court judgment of February 14, he generated a total of N6.659 billion, capping it with the largest monthly IGR of 951. 648 million in January 2021.

He said but for the Supreme Court judgment, his administration was working to surpassing N1 billion IGR.

Meanwhile, Governor Uzodinma has reiterated his determination to bring Imo back to the track of peace and progress.

He said that the state was now peaceful and safer after several weeks of disruption caused by security breaches.

Speaking during the 4th stakeholders meeting held at the Eze-Imo Palace in Owerri, Uzodinma also noted that the state was prepared to contain future security threats that may be envisaged.