Bello dissolves Kogi internal revenue service management for failure to meet ₦1bn expectation

By Idris Ahmed

The management of Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) has been dissolved over the inability to meet expected one billion naira monthly internally generated revenue since the beginning of this year, Daily Times gathered.

The state Commissioner for Information and Communication, Kingly Fanwo, who, in a statement issued on Monday night, confirmed the development, disclosing that an interim management committee has been set up to oversee the affairs of the revenue service.

According to Fanwo, the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Ashiru, has been appointed to head the interim management committee.

“The Kogi State Governor has suspended the Management of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service with immediate effect and appointed an Interim Management Committee to oversee the daily activities of the Service.” The statement read in part.

He explained further that the suspension was prompted by the “violation of corporate governance in the service”, saying the State Government had to act to save the Service from further violations.

He added that the decision was also taken following the 2019 Audited Financial Report of the Service.

“The Governor is conscious of things that have to do with excellent corporate governance, transparency and accountability.

“The 2019 Audited Financial Report of the service shows that there were infractions and the Governor had to take a decision to ensure the Service is repositioned.

“In the place of the management, the Governor has appointed an Interim Management Committee to oversee the daily affairs of the Service.

“The newly appointed Interim Management Committee is to be chaired by the Hon. Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Asiru Idris. Other members of the Committee are the State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Mr. Ibrahim Sani Mohammed, (SAN), the Auditor General of the State, Alh. Yakubu Okala and the Auditor General Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs Alh. Usman Ododo, while the Accountant General of the State, Alh. Momoh Jibrin is to serve as the Secretary”.

However, the Commissioner of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiwaju Idris Asiru, said the interim management committee has met with members of the suspended Management Committee and told them to hand over to the most senior staff in their respective departments while the suspended Chairman has also handed over.

It was reliably gathered that the state governor was not comfortable with its inability to prosecute any meaningful project since the beginning of the year due largely to a shortfall in internally generated revenue.

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