River’s Top Position in Fiscal Index Report Sign of Frugal Leadership, Says Govt

By Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Government has said it came tops in the newly published Fiscal Sustainability Index Report because of the frugality of the Governor Nyesom Wike-led administration in the management of public resources.

In a ‘State of the States’ report released by BudgIT Nigeria, a reputable budget transparency advocacy group, Rivers State is placed first ahead of Lagos State because of its healthier financial profile especially in terms of increase in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), lower debt profile and ability to pay its bills and service her debts with comparative ease.

In a statement released yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Emma Okah, citing the report, said Rivers, Lagos, Ogun and Kano States are ahead of the other states in terms of IGR. 

He, however, said while Lagos State records the highest IGR in Nigeria, its huge debt of over N734 billion as at December 2016, gives Rivers an edge in terms of fiscal sustainability, the report said.

According to Okah, this report is an endorsement of visionary leadership as the  Wike administration in the state would continue to promote the well-being of our people, initiate laudable programmes and execute projects that would improve the living standards of Rivers people.