Director, board chairman trade blames over revenue in Anambra

Anambra State Board of Internal Revenue Services (AIRS) Chairman, Dr. Greg Ezeilo and the Executive Director Operations of the agency, Dr Christian Madubuko, have traded blames over the revenue profile of the state.

The crisis between Ezeilo and Madubuko is also affecting their supporters in the revenue collection of the state.

The chairman and the executive director are accusing each other of peddling false information about how much is being realized every month.

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An official, Mr Steve Ukaeje, who spoke on behalf of the director, said the revenue profile of the state dropped from N2.14 billion in March 2023 to N1.9 billion in August 2023.

“We made N2.14 billion in March and in April, we made N2.6 billion. In May we got N2.7 billion; in June we realized N2.3 billion; in July we got N2.8 billion and it dropped to N1.9 billion in August,” he stated.

According to him, the revenue drop in August was because Madubuko travelled out of the country and was not on duty post.

He said that the board was making appreciable increment due to the hard work of Madubuko, noting that now the chairman had hijacked everything and the revenue profile dropped.

“Even though the chairman has been signing approvals for sand bitch interstate revenues which are flying revenue, the revenue profile is dropping and we wonder what is happening,” he said.

When contacted the chairman, Ezeilo, described the allegations as not only false but unfounded.

According to him, the revenue profile of the state is not dropping rather it is improving. He said that he was blocking all the leakages and with time, the state would be better for it.

“The allegations are malicious and unfounded because we ought to work as a team in the agency. Can’t you see something is wrong with somebody here.

“Our revenue profile has never dropped under my watch and in respect of the month of August we have realized over N2 billion and we are expecting more.

“Madubuko has no business going about to the markets and parks to look for revenue. He is supposed to work with me as a team but he chose otherwise. He is supposed to appoint people under him and draw strategy that will enable them to carry out enforcement and not him being in the field,” he said.