joshuaGov. Ododo’s Policies, Making Kogi People Pay Their Taxes – Alhaji Enehe, KIRS Chairman
Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe, is the State Chairman, Kogi State Internal Revenue Service. Since his assumption of office, he has repositioned the Service for optimum productivity. In this interview, he spoke on how the Kogi State revenue Service is striving to meet it 2024 budgetary provision using Human face tax administration approach and Gov. Usman Ahmed Ododo’s people oriented style of Governance.
WHO IS ALHAJI SULE SALIHU ENEHE?
Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe is a tax practitioner and a tax administrator. Academically. I started from the Polytechnic. I have Higher National Diploma in Accounting, BSC in Accounting, also Accounting forensic from Achievers University. I have a Master in Business Administration, National management option from Ladoke Akintola University, in Ogbomosho. When I also came down to Kogi State, reading books is my favorite past time because I don’t play football or watch films. I enrolled with Salem University, to obtain Master of Science, Accounting and forensic. Presently, I’m with the University of Nigeria, Nsuka, undergoing my PHD programme.
Currently, I’m attending Lagos Business School, Senior management programme which will qualify me to be an alumni of Lagos Business School. Lagos Business School, is the second rated business school in Africa and 44 in the world.
Early This Year, The State Government Gave You IGR Target Of N30.2billion. How Far Have You Gone ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE YEAR IS ALMOST RUNNING OUT?
As at September ending, KGIRS has been able to generate over N19.8billion. We have October, November and December, we are very hopeful that we should be able to if not 100 percent, but achieve 90 percent of the target.
Again, the economy is very challenging and we are driving tax with human face. We are not just looking at compliance, and enforcement. Based on the situation of the economy in Nigeria, we decided to minimize the enforcement of tax compliance. We are doing persuasion for people to pay their tax.
To us, if we do enforcement to close your shop, and the business die, who will pay the tax. That is why, we minimize enforcement, except occasional cases. Especially, when organization has ability to pay but because they are now thinking that this people are not disturbing them so they won’t pay, that is when we carry out enforcement.
In this case, you will admit with me that we have minimize enforcement why because of the economic challenges the Country is generally passing through. Let me also sincerely thank Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo, for all he is doing for the People of Kogi State since he assumed office. His policies are making the people to pay their taxes because they can see what he is using their money to do.
Even when he is not in Kogi State, he does go out there to visit agencies to attract investment to our State. It is when this investment comes that tax will go up. Because, those individuals that will work in those places, they are going to pay their taxes. The government is doing everything possible to attract investment and agencies that will bring more development to our State.
Very soon, Bank of Industry, will open their branch in the State. What that means is that, beyond the Bank of Industry opening their branch and People working there, our investors who are into production will be able to access single digit loan from them. We are also aware that very soon, we will commence construction of airport, workers will be employed and tax will be paid from those workers. In agriculture, we are also aware that he has flagged off agricultural incentives.
This are measures put in place by the Governor for us to have economic activities in our State. When all this improve, naturally, tax collection will improve. We keep telling Kogites that we are not here to tax poverty, but prosperity. From the income that we make, that is what we will use to take care of the generality of the People.
Some Persons Believe You Can Expand The Revenue Of The State, Are You Thinking Outside The Box Beyond Income Tax And Other One’s That Are Visible?
When we say we want to increase the revenue base, what that means is bringing more People into the tax net. It means creating a new tax item because tax is law. And we don’t make law here. Am also happy that the general public is aware that the Federal Government is also looking at minimizing the numbers of tax items that is why we have the economic stabilization bill before the national assembly that are looking at bringing down the tax items to a single digit for the whole Country.
The total tax item the federation is collecting is about 62. But, what the federation bill is looking at which is being championed by the President of the Country, is because there have been complains of double taxations. But there is nothing like that because they see somebody from Federal Inland Revenue, State Internal Revenue Service and Local Government coming to knock their door for tax and they will start complaining of double taxation.
That is not true. They are paying for revenue services of different items. Let me also shock you. Here in my office that most people are not in the tax net especially those private individuals. Like people say in the tax environment, data is the black oil that is why recently, there is a collaboration between the joint task force and all the State internal revenue service with Nigeria Financial Intelligent Unit to ensure that those eligible to pay their tax do it.
Apart from those who are earning salaries and are being deducted from source, normal individuals who are business men, hide their information of their income. Some don’t even pay at all because they don’t have address. So, when you hear the word increasing the tax base it is about bringing those who are not paying to the tax net and that is what KGIRS is trying to do. Is not by increasing tax items. That is what the digitization we are doing is taking us to.
For You To Achieve This, It Means You Will Be Working With A Team. What Have You Done To Motivate Your Team Towards Achieving Their Goal?
I think that story is a thing of the past in KGIRS. Enehe is not from outside. That situation that workers are not being motivated is now a thing of the past. Under my tenure, I constituted a Committee to commence promotion process. We engaged a consultant who conducted examination, and results were released. The Management committee went into a panel of interview and at the end of the day about 60 percent of the Staff qualified for promotion and about 40 percent failed.
Later on, I spoke to myself that somebody that has spent years in this place, it won’t be ideal for him or her to just leave like that. I said to myself that may be when they were writing the examination, they weren’t happy or in a good mood. I came back and called an emergency meeting seeking the approval of the management that those who failed should be promoted.
At that particular year, every Staff were promoted. It is now a natural thing that when you are due for promotion, you will be promoted using performance indicator. The staff here will continue to enjoy more than the normal Civil Servant because they are not Civil Servant. We are a commissioned base organization. The good news is that by the end of November, even the dispatched rider in Kogi State Internal Revenue Service even though his highest certificate is primary or secondary School will earn N72,500.
What Is The Level Of Your Relationship Between You And The ENTIRE STAFF OF KGIRS?
To hold a united society, you must be fair to others. God has been fair to me. In 2022, I trained every member of Staff. Talking about fairness, I don’t look at the name when they bring a file to me. I don’t look at who brings it as far as procedures are followed. What we do here is care. We are committed in developing leadership.
The things we don’t condole is stealing, forgery of document and crimes in the system. I read recently on social media that I embezzled some funds in the renovation of this building. I won’t trade words with them because they might not be informed or they are being sponsored by their pay masters. A total of N179,000,000 was approved for the renovation of this building by his Excellency Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo and not N500, 000, 000 as being peddled on social media. They have no fact so there is no need to give them attention because am focused. That is the more reason we didn’t do rejoinder.
How Have You Been Able To Stop Illegal Revenue Collections In The State?
It has become an inherent problem. We came to Kogi State in 2016, and it has become a norm. While we are fighting it, we should not forget that there is also a strong interest which are the none State actors. With the support of his Excellency, a joint task force was set up to stop this illegal revenue collection in our State. We have prosecuted over 40 people. For now, we are doing enlightenment across the 21 Local Government of the State so that the Citizens themselves can be aware of their right. Success has been made, but saying we can completely eradicate them, is a work in progress.
What Do You Make Of Your Tenure So Far?
For me I’m just doing my work. Looking back from where we are coming from, we are making progress. I can’t rate myself. Doing that, it will amount to self-praising.
What Do You Want To Be Remembered For?
Every day of my life here, I am prepared to move on. I should be remembered for somebody who has taken KGIRS to another level. My prayers is that, any time I pay visit here, I should see more development, and People should be able to welcome me. If I do bad to them, they won’t be able to welcome me.
Special Message For Tax Payers At A Time The Country Is Facing Hardship?
Like I said earlier, we are not tasking poverty but prosperity. They should be steadfast as we are committed to giving them value for their money. We are all government and we are just representatives of our People. All of us are citizens of the State and cannot be in Government House. Governor Ododo is already serving the people, so each individual should contribute their money through taxes so that we can have something in the basket that can go round.
Our message is that their tax is working for them. They should do a self-assessment and comply with the law by paying tax. Very soon, we will deploy POS across the state so that it will be less difficult in the payment of tax across the State.
