Edo State Internal Revenue Service (EIRS) on Sunday dispelled reports by a chieftain of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a former Commissioner, Ogbeide Ifaluyi-Isibor, that the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the State has declined substantially.

Ifaluyi-Isibor had, on his Facebook page on Sunday, alleged that the state’s IGR had declined by N1.3 billion, alleging that it dropped to N3.4 billion in February from the N4.7 billion announced in January.

He also alleged that the EIRS confirmed that non-state actors were diverting government revenue to private accounts.

But a press release by the Head, Corporate Communication of EIRS, Courage Eboigbe, denied the allegation, saying that the state IGR still stands at an average of N10 billion monthly.

He said, “It is disheartening and disingenuous that supposedly educated Edo State citizens would spew out such nonsense for political expediency. Such actions not only mislead the public but also undermine the efforts of those working tirelessly to ensure sustainable economic development in our State.

“His claims are far from the truth. The only truth is that the Revenue Service has attained and is sustaining an average of N10 billion to date.

“In view of the above, we hereby state that the IGR Report for February is very impressive and stands at over N9.5b, a figure never attained by Isibor’s paymasters.

“The EIRS firmly dismisses the claim of revenue drop of Edo’s IGR falling from ₦4.7 billion in January to ₦3.4 billion in February, labelling Isibor’s narrative as dubious, deliberately misleading, and dishonest. Our record confirms a stable upward trajectory, which starkly contrasts the narrative put forth by the mischievous Isibor.

“The EIRS denounces the misinformation, criticizes Isibor for allegedly spreading unverified figures, and insists that the IGR remains on an upward trajectory.

“That the EIRS rejects the notion of separate IGR sources, emphasizing that all government revenue is consolidated into a single figure irrespective of revenue stream.

“The Revenue Service reiterates its commitment to tackling illegal revenue collection by unauthorized individuals while urging the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities by non-state actors.

“Overall, this statement aims to restore public confidence, reject alleged misinformation, and reaffirm the agency’s professionalism in revenue collection.”