FROM the former Executive Chairman Federal Inland Revenue service, Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, came thanks to the press, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, her predecessors in office, staff, Board members, governors and stakeholders yesterday over the successes she recorded in his tenure.
In a thank you message titled The End and Beginning of a New Era – ECFIRS Thank you Speech, members of FIRS Board and staff yesterday, Omoigui Okauru said that the FIRS realised a total of N7.53 trillion non- oil revenue in 11 years.
The Service contributed a total of N13.036 trillion from the national till from oil sources, bringing cumulative earning in taxes in 11 years to N21.7 trillion.
Appointed on May 3, 2004, Omoigui’s second tenure ended April 9, 2012. She was re-appointed for a second 4-year term on April 10, 2008.
In the thank you message, posted on several Nigerian in Diaspora, DEFSEC and several online discussion groups yesterday, Omoigui was full of thanks for multilateral agencies, members of the Study and Working Groups, her peers at the sub-regional and continental levels, with who FIRS share ideas, her colleagues in the global tax body Commonwealth Association of Tax Administrators, tax authorities in the states for the successes he recorded in his tenure.
She noted that over 6000 FIRS staff enjoyed multicoated training during her tenure, several modernisation projects were embarked upon to position the Service as a 21st Century agency.
Five of the nine bills presented to the National Assembly were also passed, including the Personal Income Tax Amendment Act and the Federal Inland Revenue Establishment Act FIRSEA 2007, one stop- tax shops were created to ease the burden of taxpayers, while the FIRS collaborated with states, agencies and countries to share data to enhance revenue collection.
Said Okauru: “With respect to our core mandate of tax collection, tax revenue grew astronomically from slightly below N1.2 trillion (about $7.9bn) in 2004, to over N4.6 trillion (over $30bn) in 2011 (over four times the collection figure of 2004). This represents growth in both oil and non-oil revenue as follows:
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Year |
Non-Oil Taxes |
Oil Taxes |
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2001 |
N163.3 bn |
N407.1 bn |
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2002 |
N204.4 bn |
N224.4bn |
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2003 |
N255.4 bn |
N438.0 bn |
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2004 |
N316.2 bn |
N878.6 bn |
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2005 |
N389.2 bn |
N1, 52.2 tn |
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2006 |
N513.7 bn |
N1,352.5 tn |
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2007 |
N716.3 bn |
N1,132.0 tn |
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2008 |
N911.3 bn |
N2,060.9 tn |
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2009 |
N1,147.2 tn |
N939.4 bn |
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2010 |
N1,359.1 tn |
N1,480.59 tn |
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2011 |
N1.557.8 tn |
N3,070.59 tn |
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Within the period, FIRS consistently surpassed the revenue targets set for the Service.
“I have always regarded this journey as a relay in which my goal was to use my best effort to run my segment of the race. As I hand over the baton, I encourage you to continue the race and surpass all that has previously been achieved. I urge complete support for the incoming Acting Executive Chairman – Alhaji Kabir Muhammad Mashi – an experienced and distinguished public servant. Never forget that this is a team sport and that the strength of the institution is in the strength of the team.