The Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has rejected allegations of financial misconduct, poor performance, and administrative failures against its management.
The agency described the claims as false, misleading, and designed to damage the reputation of its leadership.
KGIRS made the clarification on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Revenue House in Lokoja.
The response followed a June 18 online publication by a group called “Kogi Watchdogs”.
The group accused the KGIRS Executive Chairman, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe, of worsening challenges at the revenue agency.
It alleged cases of staff victimisation, unproductive training programmes, illegal property acquisition, misappropriation of taxpayers’ funds, and revenue under-reporting.
The group also claimed that KGIRS had dismissed more than 15 staff members for offences it described as pardonable.
Speaking on behalf of the chairman, the Director of Income Tax, Mr Emmanuel Yusufu, said the agency decided to respond because of its responsibility to taxpayers.
He said KGIRS would not ignore allegations that could affect public confidence in the organisation.
Yusufu described the claims as malicious and urged the public to disregard them.
He explained that the agency follows established laws when it handles staff misconduct cases.
According to him, the Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) investigates misconduct cases and recommends appropriate action to management.
He said affected workers received fair hearings before the agency took disciplinary measures.
“The staff involved went through disciplinary procedures as defined by the enabling law. Management also considered their situations and provided a soft landing based on the nature of their offences,” he said and also denied claims that the executive chairman controls personal accounts for state revenue.
Yusufu said KGIRS pays all collections into government-approved accounts adding that, the Office of the State Accountant General supervises those accounts.
According to him, the agency uses accounts across several banks only to improve revenue collection.
“All funds go directly to the Kogi State Government. The Executive Chairman is not a signatory to any of these accounts,” he said.
Yusufu challenged the accusers to provide details of any unauthorised account linked to the chairman.
KGIRS said its monthly revenue collection has improved significantly under the current administration.
The agency said monthly revenue rose from slightly above N700 million in 2021 to more than N3.5 billion currently.
The management attributed the growth to reforms and improved collection strategies saying that the agency will investigate the identity of the group behind the allegations.
It added that it would take legal action if the investigation reveals wrongdoing.
KGIRS reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective revenue management.
The agency also pledged to maintain discipline among staff while improving service delivery to residents of Kogi State.
