Benue revenue board dismantles over 159 illegal revenue roadblocks

BENUE State Internal Revenue Services, (BIRS), has discovered 159 illegal revenue road blocks in the state where several millions of naira are been diverted into private pockets.

Chairman, State Internal Revenue Service, Terzukwe Atser, stated that  the figure was part of the illegal road blocks  across the state.

He noted that the board  had  dismantled the illegal road blocks but said that the operators still operate in the night.

Atser vowed to rid the state out of illegal tax collectors and dismantle any other illegal revenue road blocks in the state.

Mr Atser  stated this yesterday during a workshop organised for management staff of the board on management efficiency strategies, facilitated by Power Planet Limited Lagos held at Winika Hotels Gboko area of the state.

He said that on assumption of office two months ago, he  met  over 159 illegal revenue road blocks across the state but said that the board had succeeded in chasing them away.

“Notwithstanding what we have done, some  of the people  are  still operating in the night and they are always on the run because security agencies are after them.”

The chairman stated that the board is working in partnership with  security agents in the state to completely fish out those behind these illegal acts.
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“In taxation, we work according to the laws and obeying the law, you have to be just and fair. Therefore, in Benue State we want to now build efficient tax administration that would rise to become the best in Nigeria and in achieving this, we need to train and retrain the tax managers so that they can translate the knowledge to other staff.”

Speaking earlier, the state commissioner for finance and Economic Planning, Mr David Olofu, said that the workshop said  that the training would  expose tax managers to efficient strategies that could help enhance revenue services in the state.

Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, who was represented by his SSG , Professor Tony Ijohor, while declaring the workshop opened, commended the executive chairman for organizing the workshop saying it was first of its kind since the existence of the board.

He urged the management of the board to take a holistic look on the law establishing the board and if possible make their input for onward presentation to the state assembly for amendment.