Benue Revenue Service Boss Laments Billions of Tax Leakages

George Okoh in Makurdi

The Acting Executive Chairman, Benue Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), Emmanuel Agema, has disclosed that the State government recorded several billions of revenue leakages in the past due to corrupt and political practices.

This, he said had led to the barring of consultants from collecting taxes for the State even as he cautioned staff of the service to do away with all forms of corruption to encourage tax payers in contributing to the development of the state through payment of taxes.

The executive chairman while interacting with journalists at his office, yesterday, in Makurdi, said tax payers have more confidence in the system when revenue generated are properly channelled to projects, insisting that his administration has zero tolerance for corruption and said staff would benefit more by doing things right.

According to Agema, the board was facing challenge of improving revenue in the past because the past governments tolerated unwholesome practices from unqualified agents and politicians.

He alleged that revenues were drifting to pockets of politicians and people with connection with the government and didn’t have the requisite qualifications to do so.

“So huge revenue amounting to billions was siphoned away,” he alleged further.

However, he said since the new government appointed him, it has put a stop to such unwholesome practice, noting that the state’s tax position has greatly improved.

He added that when people pay taxes to government officials but only see improvements in terms of development on the faces of revenue collectors through flamboyant lifestyles in the number of cars, good houses, improved living conditions of revenue collectors, rather than committing the resources generated to infrastructural development such building of hospitals, renovation of schools and provision of water and electricity, they get discouraged.

He added that the present administration would go after staff of the board with the intent to sabotage government efforts in bringing about dividends of democracy to Benue people through corrupt enrichment.

According to the acting Executive Chairman of BIRS, what the government of Reverend Father Alia had done within six months in the areas of payment of salaries,  pensions and construction of roads across the state despite challenges has no doubt made Benue people to believe that his administration meant well for them, pointing out that the people were equally happy that their taxes are being properly utilised.