By Straightnews
To boost its internally generated revenue, Akwa Ibom government plans to levy churches in the state to pay yearly operational licences beginning from 2025.
Speaking at the second day of the ongoing Exco Ministerial Briefings/End-of-the-Year Review in Uyo, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mkpisong Frank Archibong said three Churches in a village of the state are selected to pay N15,000 each into government coffers.
Archibong who reviewed the performances and expectations of his ministry in the coming year noted that 6,816 churches will be charged to pay for the licences.
Though the Commissioner did not mention if the payment for licences by churches would be rotational on a yearly basis, Straightnews gathered that the state government would rake in N102,240,000 yearly from the payment.
This is as the Akwa Ibom Internal Revenue Service (AKIRS) has sent demand notices to churches in the state to pay what it calls Ground Rent, failure of which it will drag defaulters to court for conviction. (Details of this ground rent in our other publication).
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According to a copy of demand notice seen by Straightnews online, AKIRS will rake in another set of billions of Naira into government’s treasury.
On building of residential Quarters for the 31 local Government Chairmen, the Commissioner told the stakeholders that designs were ready.
Governor directed the Commissioner to ensure all designs and bills of quantities are ready for commencement of work on the Chairmen’s Quarters in the coming year to enable to domicile in their respective local government headquarters.
Former Speaker advocates creation of Men’s Ministry
Meanwhile, a former Speaker in Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Peter Linus Umoh has advocated the creation of Ministry of Men Affairs.
Umoh who spoke this at the Day-2 of the ongoing Exco Ministerial Briefings/End-of-the-Year Review in Uyo argued that the Federal and State governments in the country had created Ministries for Women and youths, except men.
He reasoned that while the women and youths have more numerical streght than men, it was expedient to create the ministry to cater for the interest and welfare of men.
The former member of House of Representatives who reacted to the scorecard of the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Monday Uko formally moved a motion and concluded that the ‘’ayes’’ have it- supported the creation of the ministry.
Uko had mentioned the sponsorship of Akwa United FC, Dakadda FC, Ibom Angels and another by the state government.
He further mentioned the separation of Ministry of Youths and Ministry of Sports, wishing the forthcoming occupier luck owing to daunting challenges facing the ministry when it was one.
The Commissioner assured that despite the ebbing performance of Akwa United, the club would escape relegation but assured that the prize money promised Ikot Abasi that won Governor’s Cup in 2023 would be paid before the year ends.
In another development, Dr. (Mrs) Offiong Offor of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development rolled out her scorecard especially distribution of fertilizer to farmers and cassava stems to farmers in the state, among others.
In his remarks, a former member of the Federal House of Representatives, Chief Nduese Essien, called on the Commissioner to keep a record of loan beneficiaries to knowing the impact they have have over the years they got the loans.
Otuekong Raphael Bassey, state Commissioner for Housing, and Prince Akpan Ikim, the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency equally rolled out their scorecards.
