Anambra State Internal Revenue Services, AIRS, is the body charged with collecting internal revenues for the State.
For a state that has over 100 markets in Onitsha alone, 20 major international markets across the state, an industrial city in Nnewi and several semi-urban centres that can boast of appreciable economic activities, it is not a surprise that the agency responsible for revenue collection reeks in cash.
But top management staff of AIRS, have been enmeshed in a fight over revenues in the state and its collection. The fight however is principally between the Executive Chairman of AIRS, Chief Greg Ezeilo and the Executive Director of Operations in the agency, Dr. Christian Madubuko.
It appears the bone of contention is who controls the internally generated revenue of the state.
Soludo had upon his swearing in charged the AIRS on increased generation of revenue. The governor gave the agency a target of growing the state’s internally generated revenue to N10 billion monthly.
The charge had then led to a revenue drive by the agency, which later led to a backlash on the governor, as people complained of being suffocated with taxes.
Though this was happening under Dr Richard Maddiebo as executive chairman, the agency later reformed its operation, such that it abolished collection of cash, opting for electronic payment.
A source within the agency said Madiebbo was bitter that despite the open confrontation and feud in the agency, Soludo failed to wade into the matter to call Madubuko to order.
His exit ushered in Chief Greg Ezeilo as the New Chairman and Executive Director. He was also in the system previously, and said to be grounded. His entry, however, created another round of feud between him and Madubuko, leading to his attempt to cut Madubuko to size.
As part of the strategy, Ezeilo created a new office, UHBET Centre and assigned Madubuko an office in the complex while also changing his job description from being in charge of field operations to New Businesses Development, Motor Licensing, Road Taxes and overseeing the UHBET Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBT). This did not go down well with Madubuko, who ignored him and continued with his role as operations manager, leading staff to the field for enforcement.
An insider source stated that: “The main reason for such insistence to remain in the field was because of the money involved. If you know how much is in the field, you will know why Madubuko insists on being in the field.
“On the other hand, the Executive Director himself also goes to the field. He has an eye in the field, and he does not want Madubuko with his overbearing influence to continue to pry into his affairs. There’s a whole lot of games going on there.”
Meanwhile, in an internal memo, which came in the form of a query, which Ezeilo issued to Madubuko, he accused him of several wrongdoings, including insubordination, usurpation of power, and converting of some of the agency’s operational vehicles for his personal use.
The memo, which was leaked to the press reads in part: “You will recall, in my last conversations with you, shortly after you returned from your overseas trip, I took you to the UHBET Centre and conducted you round that facility; showed you your new office location in that Centre, and intimated you that your job roles would now change to cover among others, New Business Development, Motor Licensing, Road Taxes and overseeing the UHBET Computer-Based Testing Facility (CBT).
“Additionally, I informed you that, as an Executive Director, you are never to be engaged in any field work again except where it becomes extremely necessary to do so. Similarly, arising from my initial memo to all directors, management, and every other staff of AIRS, no such actions involving interacting with any external parties should take place without the authorization of the Chairman.
“In another development, records from the head of admin showed that you are still in custody of three (3) of AIRS vehicles, namely two Sienna buses and one truck, contrary to our vehicle fleet management policy of one officer – one vehicle and others to the pool. In the light of the above, can you please take immediate steps to address the following queries.
“You are to provide lucid explanations of your roles in issues in ‘1’ above and why severe disciplinary actions cannot be taken against you. Upon satisfactory submission on issues No.1, you should take immediate steps to relocate your office to the UHBET Centre as provided and thereof conduct yourself in line with your new job roles.
“Provide reasonable and convincing undertaking that you will never engage with any external parties including AIRS Partners or their agents, the police, civil defence, DSS or the press without express approval of the Chairman. Finally, you should take immediate steps to return two (2) of the three (3) vehicles in your custody back to the office and hand over the keys to the head of Admin for effective fleet operations.”
That singular query may have opened a can of worms, as Madubuko, in replying, revealed what can be described as indictment on the chairman, even though the indictments could not exactly be verified.
Madubuko accused Ezeilo of leaking his query to the media to humiliate him, suggesting that he too may have leaked his reply to the query, revealing many secrets he shared with Ezeilo.
In his reply to the query, Madubuko claimed Ezeilo was using one of the revenue companies as a conduit for him to syphon government funds, and that Ezeilo was working hard to keep him away from what had been happening.
He said this was even as the company was now making cash returns to Ezeilo, when the taxes generated by the company should have automatically gone into government coffers through electronic payment.
“I am even more worried to observe that a partnering firm whose job function is to supervise the AIRS digital collections and pay into State account digitally is now coming up with a cheque of N150 million, which is obviously less than 20% of what has been collected in the field on behalf of AIRS.
“Remember that same company made over N1,269,360billion within the three months and two weeks period it operated as revenue agent for Anambra State in late 2022 and early 2023 in a very obnoxious manner that warranted the abrupt suspension of the flying revenue by Mr. Governor in January 2023.
“The records of money collected by the firm are not only available but also verifiable to date. Till today, the firm claims it has not recovered the N450 million it invested in the Anambra IGR. That is a blatant lie. I would like anyone who doubts this to challenge me and I will make verifiable records of its collections and the amount collected available.
“I asked a direct question to you regarding the circulating news that you, the Chairman, Dr. Greg Ezeilo collected N4million and two cows from Mr. Ken Nwankwo before your Ozor title taking at Igbo-Ukwu your community and that Mr. Ken Nwankwo, a.k.a Abig (owner of Bigly Oil and Gas) gave you N20million to be able to secure the appointment letter for the ‘upstream and downstream’ revenue buckets.
“You accepted that both incidents happened. I advised you (on) the dangers of accepting things like that from ‘partners and contractors’ as the case may be. You told me you will refund back his N4million to him and on the issue of two cows, you retorted: ‘how much does a cow cost?’ That you will give him back his two cows. On the N20million you said you borrowed the money from him to rehabilitate the UHBET Centre.
“I was amused but not deceived because you took the money and started doing his biddings. It is not surprising, therefore, that you saw nothing wrong with our IGR Partner recruiting hardened criminals across the State for revenue collections. Rather, you called for my head for daring to venture where the angels fear to go. I can now rightly or wrongly confirm that even the angels eat beans.
“In that meeting also, you admitted many things you have done arbitrarily, and in a dictatorial manner without carrying we, your colleagues along as a team. You equally admitted having encroached so much on areas of my primary assignments as approved by Mr. Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, CFR. You promised to make amends so we can join hands to upscale Anambra State revenue. We also discussed the decline in the amount of revenue generated in August 2023 and how to upscale the revenue. We noted that the primary cause was lack of collaboration. Of everything we agreed upon, Mr. Chairman has not kept even one.
“Your decree that I should stop going to the field operations only exposed your bereft of knowledge on leadership or management ‘by walking around’. Every successful leader or organisation practices management by walking around or management by wandering around. It is also known as leadership by walking about.
“My adoption of leadership by going to the frontline has helped the State IGR grow from N1.8billion in March where we met it to N2.8billion in July 2023, after which I traveled to Australia in August and returned in September to meet the IGR in a state of terrible decline.
“Since then, revenue thieves have multiplied and seem to have formed a terrible alliance with you. The state of the IGR’s steady decline under your watch and style of leadership is becoming too dangerous for silence.
“Think of what it would be if we pull our talents and strengths together, we would have definitely reclaimed over 85% of the State IGR in the hands of the revenue vandals.
“By now, we would have been talking of generating N5billion, while targeting at N10billion as from 2024,” Madubuko stated.
Meanwhile, as the battle rages, Anambra seems to be suffering its effects. Our insider source revealed that some of the companies handling the collection of IGR for the Anambra State government are growing richer by the day.
Curiously, the state governor has remained mum about the crisis at the Revenue House.
This, it was gathered, was the reason for the resignation of Madiebbo in the past.
When our correspondent reached out to Anambra State governor’s Press secretary, Mr Chris Aburime on what Soludo intends to do to sanitise the Revenue House, he insisted that there was no fight in the agency.
“At least, that is not within my knowledge,” he said.
When he was told that evidence of the fight has been in public space, he said he would get back to our correspondent, but never did as of the time of filing this report.
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