Ekiti State governor, Biodun Oyebanji has pledged to give more support to the management and staff of Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service, EKIRS, to boost Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, and enhance greater development.
The governor therefore charged revenue-generating Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to cooperate with EKIRS to block leakages by putting a stop to manual collection of tax and revenue.
While commending EKIRS for the improved revenue profile, Governor Oyebanji urged revenue-generating agencies to support and cooperate with the tax agency, charging them to do more for the state to rake in more funds into its coffers for his administration to serve the people better.
The governor made the remarks on Monday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while performing the turning of the sod for the construction of Revenue House that will serve as the corporate head office of EKIRS.
He commended the EKIRS Chairman, Mr Olaniran Olatona and staff of the agency for working very hard in 2024 to receive national recognition as one of the best performing state revenue agencies in Nigeria by raising the IGR from N600 million to N1.8 billion monthly.
Apparently impressed with the figures posted by EKIRS in the outgoing year which he described as “an impressive performance,” Oyebanji said the welfare of staff has been of paramount concern to him, hence nothing would be spared to improve their welfare for better service delivery.
According to him, the groundbreaking of the new EKIRS corporate headquarters was not merely symbolic, but signifies a critical step in enhancing seamless revenue generation and tax administration. The gesture, he added, is aimed at fostering economic growth and improving the lives of citizens.
Governor Oyebanji noted that staff of the revenue agency have demonstrated capacity and nothing should be spared to invest in them to do more, hence the approval granted the proposal for a new office complex that would motivate them to do more.
Reiterating the readiness of his administration to block all revenue loopholes, Governor Oyebanji promised to crack down on MDAs that engage in acts that encourage fraud in tax administration through alleged underhand dealings including manual collection of revenue which end up in private pockets.
He said: “I want to commend Team EKIRS for doing us proud by posting a very impressive performance nationally this year. With what you have been able to do, you have demonstrated dedication, commitment and capacity, so no amount is too much for us to invest in you.
“I also commend all revenue-generating agencies for their support; I charge them to do more and I plead with them to cooperate with EKIRS so that we can block these leakages. I am aware that some of these MDAs are doing manual transactions because that is a window for them to continue stealing government money.
“As we move into 2025, we are going to be deliberate about this and we are going to come very hard on MDAs that deliberately sabotage our efforts to serve our people to the best of our ability. I know that EKIRS staff can do more than they are doing if they have the fullest cooperation of these MDAs.
“We will try as much as possible to support you so that you can post a better performance in 2025 and I assure you that your welfare will be a personal concern to me. You have done so well that people are asking what are we doing differently in Ekiti, but we just have dedicated staff that have put on the cap of a private sector player.”
Earlier in his address, the EKIRS chairman expressed gratitude to the governor for providing the agency with a prime piece of land which is strategically located in the heart of the state capital, noting that the approval was predicated on his delight with the performance of the staff.
Mr Olatona noted that the Revenue House would enable the agency qualify for more collaboration with the Joint Tax Board and other bodies, reduce the stress for taxpayers and also provide them with seamless access to services and information.
The revenue boss said the project stands as a beacon of his team’s dedication to excellence, transparency and accountability, revealing that the professionals involved in the construction including architects, engineers, builders and workmen are from the state whom he said are competent to do a good job.
Former EKIRS Chairman, Mr Isola Akingbade, noted that the project, when completed, would be one of the best in the country. He hailed the governor’s commitment in making life better for the entire people of the state since his assumption of office.
The Project Manager, Engr Olajide Dada, promised to deliver the job within the scope of time, noting that enough men and resources are available to ensure the delivery of a quality project.
The event was attended by SpeakerAdeoye Aribasoye; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro; Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi; members of the House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, among others.
