Seventeen revenue drivers and 33 audit firms are to be recruited by the Enugu State Government to help check the inadequacy in its internally generated revenue, the Commissioner for Information.

The Commissioner for Information, Dr Godwin Udeuhele said this while speaking with the press on Thursday after the State Executive Council meeting on the previous day.

Udeuhele said it is government’s concern to shore up its internally generated revenue.

He said the government would also negotiate with principal bandwith providers with the aim of selecting the suitable ones to engage.

“The ECXO approved the recruitment of 17 revenue drivers, 33 audit firms and authorised the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR) to negotiate with major bandwidth providers.

“Before today, we have been having dwindling internal revenue. The revenue drivers are different companies who are professionals in revenue management.

“The audit firms will audit different facets of our income and interface with the companies to help them achieve their goals,” he remarked.

Udeuhele opened up on the state government’s initiative to reorganize the Enugu State Waste Management Agency (ESWAMA) after noticing some lapses.

The major lapse, according to serial complaints from stakeholders, is the inability to remove refuse from dump sites by the agency for more than two weeks, drawing government’s attention to set up an investigative committee.

Government action, however call for the engagement of the Ministry of Enugu Capital Development Authority to take charge of such responsibility to check the unbearable stench across the state.

“The commissioner for Enugu Capital Development Authority was on a rescue mission at ESWAMA with a view to ensuring the clean-up of Enugu.

“He was given one week but the council expressed deep appreciation of the level of work done so far and noted that more needed to be done.

“This intervention work by the ministry was extended by one month to enable the commissioner  to complete the task as well as reorganise the agency for effective discharge of its mandate,” Udeuhele said.