Dr Greg Ezeilo’s Innovative Leadership In AIRS And Anambra’s Growing IGR

JUVENTUS CHUKWUNWEIKE OKOLI 

Many underestimated Gov Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s seriousness when upon assumption of office on March 17, 2022, he made landmark pronouncements on tax matters but so far, even the ‘doubting Thomases’ are marvelled at the outcome.

The governor stated his keenness to grow Anambra State’s internally generated revenue (IGR) to reasonable heights for the good, progress and development of the state.

Most people never took him serious, assuming that, like some governors before him, his too would fizzle out or turn to another ‘maradona-political dribbling’ which most Nigerian politicians are known for. That belief remained until Mr Governor began to walk his talk.

The governor took bold steps to achieve the feats. It began with work on the Anambra tax law which was reviewed through the State House of Assembly with amendments to accommodate vital and broader views of the government, in line with the realities of current time. The tax reforms was heralded by a series of town hall meetings, official broadcasts and steady engagements with Anambra stakeholders, taxpayers, political leaders, heads of traditional institutions and religious leaders.

Today, the results are very noteworthy and awesome. Thanks to Mr Governor’s determination and doggedness against all odds.

Anambra State Internal Revenue Service, AIRS, has been the major pointman, implementing agency and supporter of Mr Governor and his executive team in the mission. AIRS has been remarkably positioned through its services to champion and bring to light Mr Governor’s determination. Thus, its former helmsman, Richard Madiebo did a great lot in this regard. He vigorously pursued this dream until he left in 2023.

Upon his departure, the mantle of AIRS leadership fell on Dr Greg Ezeilo. Chosen to champion the activities of AIRS as the Chairman, Ezeilo came very prepared and showed it. He promptly unveiled a revenue compliance enforcement team which he named the Unified Hybrid Enforcement Team, UHBET, on August 1, 2023. Instantly, UHBET became a success. Despite its newness, the tax compliance enforcement outfit has recorded very striking records in ensuring due diligence in the process of IGR generation and tax compliance in the state. UHBET has consistently continued growing under Ezeilo.

Under Ezeilo revenue enforcement officers of the state now compulsorily undergo series of trainings and retraining on courses that aid them to perform their duties in more civil and tech-oriented manners befitting the ‘Solution Government’ and institution they work for.

Ezeilo who personally has been facilitating some of the trainings with his team for AIRS and UHBET personnel has never looked back on his promise of getting them fully oriented and equipped as international professional revenue tax collectors and enforcers. The UHBET Centre is indeed a training house he has established for the complete rebranding of tax enforcement duties in the state.

What Dr Ezeilo’s success in his mission and his sustained record of always meeting and beating his IGR generating target has enabled Anambra State to achieve is immense because it fits perfectly into Gov Soludo’s ‘Solution’ mission in the state.

Improved IGR has turned out to be a crucial life wire for the state to pursue her radical infrastructure developments and projects. Given Mr Governor’s unprecedented prudent management of resources, today, Anambra meets vital parts of its financial obligations following an improving revenue.

With the improved IGR, for instance, it has become possible for the state to have free antenatal and free child delivery in all state-owned hospitals in Anambra. The IGR supports the government’s continued regular payment of salaries of workers, comprising the newly employed thousands of youths, teachers, health workers in rural and urban areas of Anambra State among others.

An encouraging steady flow of IGR from Ezeilo’s stead, helps to sustain the current free basic education programme in the state as well as the ongoing construction of hundreds of kilometers of roads as well as vital facilities across Anambra.

Worthy of mention here is that Dr Ezeilo has, by keying into the guiding directives of Mr Governor, become the first Chairman of AIRS to have profiled and documented tax compliance enforcement officers for inclusion in the payroll as he has done with UHBET personnel, marking the first of such initiative in Anambra’s history.

Potentially, the gesture’s far-reaching implications would yield more dividends for the state. Having tax compliance enforcement workers on payroll commits them and makes them more committed to their work. It also has deep motivational effects. Through the initiative, Dr Ezeilo, sets a standard structure that seeks to remove touts and touting activities from the fold of Anambra revenue enforcement officers. The positive effects of this bold step will be felt more as the beneficiaries would be encouraged to devote to their work and strive harder to grow the state’s IGR in appreciation of the recognition and opportunity. No doubt, the gesture is a smart administrative initiative that would eventually reduce, the regimen of unaligned workers playing pranks on the system, siphoning and diverting state’s IGR into private coffers as used to be the case.