Nation
BIRS Dismisses Existence Of Tax Racketeers In The Service
The Benue Internal Revenue Services, BIRS, has dismissed as completely false the purported existence of a tax racketeering syndicate being spearheaded by the acting Chairman of the service and selected staff to defraud the state as alleged by a group known as Benue Advocate for Good Governance, BAGG.
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Recall that the BAGG in a recent open letter to Governor Hyacinth Alia jointly signed by Tersoo Abagi and Inelagwu Adakole, drew the attention of the Governor to what it termed the unwholesome illegal activities going on at the BIRS.
The group in the letter claimed among others that “we discovered with great dismay that touts are still collecting revenue on behalf of BIRS office with connivance of some BIRS staff. We also discovered that receipts are being reprinted and sold with the money going to private pockets. This is going on especially at Zaki Biam, Katsina-ala, Ugba and Vandeikya checkpoints.”
The group insisted that the illegality was being perpetrated “under the watchful eyes of the acting Chairman and some other key officials in your government who are bent on sabotaging your efforts towards building the Benue of our dreams.
But reacting, the Acting Chairman of BIRS, Mr. Emmanuel Agema in a statement issued in Makurdi by his Media Assistant Jacintha Benard, described the allegation as baseless and aimed at discrediting the hard work of staff of the service who face all hazards associated with task of revenue collection.
The statement recalled that not long ago “the state government inaugurated a task force on illegal mining, logging and road block to check these illegalities;” stressing that “the fight against this miscreants, who have identified revenue collection as their avenue of criminality, has been ongoing.
“Just recently, the acting chairman met with leaders of the Task Force to synergise on modalities to eradicate illegal roadblocks on our roads. It is therefore, abysmal that a group advocating for good governance would be this uninformed.
“The Chairman, has repeatedly reiterated his zero tolerance to operators of illegal checkpoint and vehemently frowns against issuance of fake receipts, extortion of the taxpayers, and particularly the collection of unreceipted monies at the various Inspection/Monitoring points. The Chairman, is focused and determined to use every lawful measures for tax collection and remittance owing to the fact that taxation is law.
“Recall also that, just after the Chairman’s appointment by the Governor, he inaugurated a Tasksforce Team made up of BIRS staff and security personnel who are saddled with the responsibility of monitoring revenue collections, ensuring compliance, halting tax evaders.
“So far, the Team has recorded some successes, they have made some arrests of illegal checkpoint operators in Vandeikya, Kastina-Ala, Otukpa, Howe, and North Bank areas. Some of the culprits have been arraigned and remanded. The team has also dismantled illegal checkpoints at Amaafu and Gungul.
“It is worthy of note that the Chairman was appointed on June 22, 2023 and resumed office on June 25. He is little over a month in office and so far, he is doing excellently well in the discharge of his duties in ensuring optimal revenue generation for the state to support the governor in achieving the crucial mandate of developing the state.”
The Service appealed to Governor Alia and Benue people to discountenance the said open letter as it was fraught with lies and falsehood aimed at tarnishing the image of the hardworking staff and management of BIRS.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).