The Management of Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, says it generated a sum of N3.9billions as Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) between 2019 to 2021.
Also, the state-owned revenue collection agency debunked allegations against its Chief Executive, Mrs Shade Omoniyin. She was accused of stealing N8b from the state treasury in three years.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Corporate Affairs of the Service, Titilayomi Ogunwale.
The statement described the allegations against the Executive Chairman of KWIRS about funds mismanagement as false.
The statement reads:” Within the past three years alone, the KW-IRS has saved taxpayers a humongous N3.9billion (Three Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira Only) in what could have gone to consultancies of all kinds if the former platforms had been retained.
“The management of KWIRS is appalled by the weight of bile and determination of some persons to rubbish the Service for their selfish gains. However, what keeps us above malicious intent and envy is our professionalism, transparency, and the huge gains so far made in raising the bar in revenue generation and good ethics.
“A report in an online medium purporting some imaginary mismanagement of any funds is an exercise in futility. Unlike in the previous regime, KW-IRS is today subject to strict fiscal
discipline and monitoring at higher levels. It does not control its spending, nor does it handle any funds anymore. This is an improvement in prudence, transparency and accountability.”
It further explained that with the prudent management of resources, the agency had ended an era of bogus consultancy fees, thereby saving its finances.
The statement reads: “The Service is aware of the vast network of conspiracies to sully its image through propaganda and false equivalence as political campaigns begin. However, we shall remain true to our commitments to raise the bar in our service to the people of Kwara State without compromising the law or our ethics. We will not succumb to lies and blackmail of any kind.
“While the Service still lawfully engages consultancy firms like all revenue agencies in the world, the management is proud to have ended the era of bogus and often-opaque consultancy fees of the past. Within the past three years alone, the KW-IRS has saved taxpayers a humongous N3.9billion (Three Billion, Nine Hundred Million Naira Only) in what could have gone to consultancies of all kinds if the former platforms had been retained.
“The savings from what was paid as consultancy before are now ploughed back to the public treasury for investment and development projects. It is this transparency and patriotic act of the present Management that are being twisted by the detractors who are not used to such culture.
“The Executive Chairman and Management Team of KW-IRS have made corporate governance and due diligence their watchwords, and will continue to enforce the doctrine to the letter in public interest. This possibly explains the relentless attacks on the government and KW-IRS. We are not deterred.
It adds that members of the public are enjoined to ignore the falsehoods, join hands to build a more prosperous Kwara, and continue to play their lawful part of tax payment as and when due to support the developmental agenda of the government.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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