The Task Before The New Revenue House Helmsman 

In his bid to ensure an effective, efficient, transparent, and accountable revenue system, Governor Hyacinth Alia has appointed an acting Executive Chairman for the Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS), the third such appointment since his inauguration as Governor in May 2023.

There is nothing abnormal about the frequency of the appointments. It is a search for a perfectionist, a person who will drive a transparent revenue generation system that will save money enough to assist the government to deliver on its mandate of providing security, infrastructure, education and health services, employment opportunities through industrialisation and empowerment, support for agriculture and other aspects of life.

The new appointment is therefore a move to re-engineer governance and inject fresh ideas for effective and efficient revenue governance service, enhance what comes into government coffers and explore the wider tax net so that every patriotic citizen of the state will perform the civic duty of paying their tax willingly. Thus, the new helmsman at the Revenue House, Mr Joseph Kwaghgba from the Zone B axis, a renowned public servant, businessman and an ardent ally of the government, fits this bill perfectly.

Under the first chairman of BIRS, Hon Emmanuel Agema, who was appointed in June 2023, some innovative measures were taken including taxing the massive waste in the state. During his tenure, the revenue generated by the government was said to have grown by 75 per cent. Agema, who is from Zone A axis, however, had to give way in August 2024 following public outcry and allegations of mismanagement and lack of transparency. The people’s governor, with his ears to the ground, listened, and Agema, like the unwise bride who couldn’t keep her marriage, was eased off his job.

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The mantle of piloting the Revenue House was taken by Hon Sunday Odagba  from the  Zone C axis in September 2024. A tax wizard and staff of BIRS, who came in with a flair and soon announced that the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) now stood at an impressive monthly average of N2.2 billion. By the end of 2024, Odagba said the BRS generated N16 billion as against the paltry N1.8 billion in the previous year, before his appointment.

He maintained that the achievement underscores the effective revenue generation strategies being adopted by Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, which has led to appreciable progress.

To reach that appreciable progress, Odagba adopted different administrative strategies, including the posting of some directors on “special assignment” to the BIRS zonal offices to drive the new philosophy of tax administration, so as to generate enough revenue to support the developmental projects and programmes of the Executive Governor of Benue State.

In spite of his huge achievements, Odagba had to go. There seemed to be some stumbling blocks to his beautifully conceived ideas. Those in the know said he suddenly became “too private and silent,” and no one seems to know what is happening at the Revenue House.

Both Agema and Odagba came in, served to the best of their abilities and had to go, leaving the governor to search for another tax wizard and excellent manager who would open all the revenue windows, capture the taxables, plug loopholes, and collect what is due to government without fear or favour.

Thus, Kwaghgba, the third acting chairman of BIRS, who will assume office on July 7, has a huge task ahead of him. Though a renowned accountant with vast knowledge of revenue and IGR management, he has to stamp his foot to drive the system, ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability at every step of the revenue management system. For every step he takes, the eagle eyes of Governor Alia will be watching him. The governor will be looking for results that speak loudly. Nothing more.

– Bridget T Tikyaa, is the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Publicity and Communication Strategy