Imo Commissioner for Trade explains reasons for revenue ‘geometric progression’

The revenue profile of the Imo State Ministry of Trade and Establishment formerly known as Ministry of Commerce and Industry is increasing in geometric progression because, Rex Anunobi, commissioner for the ministry has brought financial discipline and ensured that the staff imbibed it in the day-to-day running of the ministry.

The commissioner explained what he described as the secret at a meeting in Owerri, recently.

He urged Imo people, those in government businesses, and all those in private sector to employ financial discipline in their businesses, and also ensure that funds meant for government do not end in the pockets of state actors and non-state actors rather into government purse through the Treasury System of Accounts (TSA).

Anunobi, who spoke when Anthony Amadi, President of Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA) visited him, stated that since he assumed office as the commissioner of trade and establishment, the revenue profile of the ministry of trade and establishment was improving tremendously.

According to, Rex Anunobi, “this is because when we deliver services, we equally make sure that the appropriate revenue is paid to the government and not misappropriated or end in the pockets of non-state actors or state actors who are helping themselves

“Since I came, we have made it 100 percent, that all revenues from our various departments are paid into the Treasury System of Accounts (TSA) of the government.

“And today, am proud to inform you that when I came here, the ministry’s Internationally Generated Revenue (IGR) was less than N2million every month, from January to June. But from July, we did a lot of engagements with the stakeholders involved and equally applying discipline and bringing our personality to bear, that it is no longer business as usual, that the government’s directive must be complied with.

” By October our IGR came to over N14 million, September N12m, August N10 million plus, July N9m but June down wards to January N1m or N2 m and by November, may reach N20 million”.

On how this revenue geometric progression is being really achieved, the commissioner said that he ensured that apart from entrenching financial discipline in the ministry, the first thing was done.

“The first thing first is stakeholders must be engaged before you can start implementing any government policy. The people that will benefit or the people that will pay must be informed, even the benefits they will get before they know that this responsibility, we must do it.

“And when you do it, you do it in a very polite way because democratic government must be democratic government, and military government will be military government.

“In Imo, we do not operate military government under the cover of democracy, that is why we engage, that is the reason four our revenue skyrocketing.”

He has therefore, urged the private sector, being led by the Owerri Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OCCIMA) to work hard to make sure that revenues due for the government are promptly and appropriately remitted into the government purse.