By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has announced the immediate termination of appointments of all consultants charged with the onerous task of revenue generation to the coffers of the state government.
The state Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo through the office of the Secretary to the state government, Mrs. Folashade Arike Ayoade in a memo, directed that the appointments of all Consultants on Revenue Collections in the state through Ministries, Departments or Agencies (MDAs) are hereby terminated with immediate effect.
This was disclosed by the chairman of the State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe at a press conference in Lokoja over the weekend.
“To this end, you are hereby requested to inform all Consultants engaged by your MDA, and please ensure that necessary measures are put in place to nip in the bud all revenue leakages in the State.”
The sanitisation of the economic drive by the government might not be unconnected with the emergence of ubiquitous and porous nature of tax collections occasioned by fraudulent revenue generators acting on behalf of the state.
Taking some measures to forestall this therefore, Alhaji Enehe has announced clampdown on the recalcitrant elements taking advantage of loopholes of government to perpetrate illegal collection of revenue in the state to the detriment of both the tax payers and government.
A worried Enehe was unequivocal when he assured Kogites and users of roads in the state that concerted efforts will be put in place in no distant time to plug access to ever creaming miscreants collecting illegal taxes in the name of on behalf of government to the detriment of same.
He assured the people of the state that government was poised to explore official measures to generate revenue of best practices in the state.
The state, according to him, is poised of ridding unofficial tax collectors that cut corners to enrich themselves of the meagre resources by embarking on crude and dubious means, adding that it is in the state that an individual will create a toll gate and start collecting revenue unfettered based on his first hand experience.
“There was a time I went to one Local Government, the road was blocked. I came down with my entourage and discovered that the receipt they are issuing out is from the Local Government and not the State. I called the DLG, and he said he was aware”. the chairman said.
“I asked where the money is going, and he said he doesn’t know.
The new administration under Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo has given a directive to put an end to this sharp practice of these individuals who are enemies of our State. From today, we are swinging into action because these people are not working for us but their own selfish interests. Anyone caught in this dubious act will be arrested and prosecuted.”
He explained that the government is poised to engage InterSwitch to supply over 1,000 Point of Sales (POS) machines to boost the revenue drive in the Local Governments and block loopholes in the system as revenue service intends to generate N30.4 billion in the fiscal year.
