Abia State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all revenue accounts in all ministries in the state as part of measures to plug all leakages in the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

Governor Theodore Orji, who issued the order in Umuahia during a meeting with commissioners, permanent secretaries and heads of non-ministerial departments of revenue generating ministries, directed that henceforth all revenue due to government should go into the consolidated account of government.

Orji (see photo) observed with dismay that some ministries were still using revenue agents other than the only revenue consultant approved by the government and warned that any commissioner or head of non-ministerial department found to be contravening the regulated financial system of the state would be sacked.

The governor also warned that any person who parades himself as revenue consultant or collector, other than the revenue consultant approved by the government, is operating illegally, vowing that such persons would be arrested and dealt with according to the law.

Money meant for government purse, Orji fumed, are diverted into private pockets while government labours to meet its obligations to the people.

He directed the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) to comply with the new order by immediately cancelling all contracts the agency entered into with revenue agents while the Board of Internal Revenue should follow suit by stopping from collecting revenue of the board upfront.

He charged the commissioners and heads of non-ministerial departments to explore other ways of making money for government other than going to Ariaria and other markets in Aba to collect tolls and other forms of levies.