The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, on Wednesday, commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji for his developmental milestones in Ekiti State to ensure value for tax payments.
Adedeji, who doubles as Chairman of Joint Tax Board (JTB), stated this as the Special Guest of Honour at the commissioning of the Internal Revenue House in Ado-Ekiti as part of activities marking Governor Oyebanji’s third anniversary in office.
Delivering his remark, Adedeji praised Governor Oyebanji for the significant progress in infrastructural development and for complementing the efforts of President Bola Tinubu.
He said: “There is no better advertisement for payment of taxes than what we have seen because what people want to see is that what is the money being used for and that is what you have done for us. You will become our ambassador in what innovation and fiscal discipline can do.
“If it’s in just three years, this is what we can see, look at the roads, the completion of the airport and more importantly, this edifice that through your innovation and commitment you put together. Thank you for making the work of the President easy with what you have done.”
Earlier, Governor Oyebanji declared that his administration has not borrowed money to deliver on its campaign promises, attributing the feat to President Tinubu’s reforms across the country.
He resolved the support of his administration on the new tax reform laws noting that the harmonization of all taxes would simplify tax processes and provide amicable solutions to challenges of tax jurisdiction, among others.
His words: “I give God all the glory for what is happening in Ekiti State. Everybody is commending our administration for a job well done but in fairness, after God, the person to commend is the President, whose audacious reforms free more resources to the state for us to implement our social contract with our people.
“I can boast and beat my chest that every projects we have done and we are doing in Ekiti State up till now, we have not taken a loan to do anyone of them. This speaks to the facts that we have a President who is transparent, who allows the resources to be shared the way it should be shared. In our history as a state, the President has given to us more than our fair share of the federation allocation.
“I have listened to the request on the need to unify our tax administration. I assure you that law will be passed because we support the tax law as passed by Mr. President. We believe that if we are able to harmonize all the taxes, you collect easily and more resources will come to the sub-national. We are partner in progress.”
The governor lauded the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service, EKIRS, led by Olaniran Olatona for improving the IGR of the state saying that “within one year, you moved our revenue from N700M to over N2B per month. It has never happened in the history of this state.”
In his opening address, Chairman of EKIRS said the revenue house will strengthen their efficiency and symbolises their renewed commitment to fiscal responsibility, service excellence and the shared prosperity of Ekiti people.
According to Olatona, “Under the Governor’s leadership, our revenue trajectory has been transformative. Our average monthly Internally Generated Revenue has risen significantly such that we came first in IGR growth rate published by the JTB and National Bureau of Statistics last year. This upward trend continues, affirming our collective efforts as we moved from 35th position to one of the highest 16 (2023) and 21 (2024) in IGR ranking of subnational despite our obvious limitations.
“Looking ahead, these new buildings will strengthen our efficiency as we implement tax reforms starting from 1st January 2026. This new, data-driven, and digitally- enabled framework will ensure greater efficiency, transparency, collaborations and accountability.
“The Chairman, JTB strongly advocated that we allow the poor to breathe during the meeting held at Ibadan. Ekiti IRS was one of the fastest to digest the bills and we started making adjustments even prior to signing. We began making use of Data Intelligence and other modern tools.
“With your continual support in the area of Data for tax initiatives, we know we are set for enforcement without force and improved voluntary compliance. Please appreciate the FIRS team in Ekiti for the collaborative relationships we enjoyed as EKIRS was allocated an office in their building and we are now poise to retaliate by giving IFRS also an office in our building.”
On his part, Tolu Olarewaju, Board Member of EKIRS appreciated the governor for giving them the opportunity to serve and for making history as the number one state in IGR growth rate and for commissioning the revenue house in less than a year.
