...Staff fumed , Demand open Declaration during End of Year party

There was mild anxiety during the end of year party organised for staff of Kwara state Internal Revenues services (KWIRS) , this past week over attempt by management to suppress voices of staff demanding open declaration of income generated by the agency for the year 2021.

According to multiple sources who attended the occassion but pleaded anonymity , the atmosphere at the get together party drifted when some staff began to murmur over refusal of KWIRS Chairman, Mrs Shade Omoniyi to declare amount generated for the preceeding year in her keynote address.

The staff became worried after it was discovered that Mrs Shade Omoniyi deliberately bypassed an item in the order of program spelt out to make her declare total income generated by the agency for year 2021

Announcing annual returns generated by the agency is a tradition since the inception of the KWIRS under past administrations. At an occasion such as the end of year party where all staff are brought together, it is an habit that the management announce to hearings of all staff, total amount generated on behalf of the state for the preceeding year. This is designed to promote transparency, accountability and also to motivate staff who are relating directly with taxpayers across the state .

Some staff who could no longer hold their frustration at the chairman who concluded her speech without mentioning amount generated for the year stood up in annoyance, raised their voices and demanded that the chairman declare the amount before everybody

One of the staff who attended the party said:

"When our noise was too loud, she was reinvited to the rostrum to make amendment but everybody was surprised when she said that she needed to consult before making declaration about amount generated for last year. When she observed that the staff did not accept her claim, she immediately switched and told us they have issues with the computation"

"Let me tell you , our people are angry that the management has been operating like a secret cult where only the chairman and her allies in government are the one entitled to know about administration of agency we all joined hands to build."

Another staff also said

"Yes , there was apprehension after Mrs Omoniyi dropped microphone without touching that important area despite staff murmur . People felt the management is not operating open policy , a lot of things that were made public in the last dispensation have now become secret affairs . Yet it is the staff that go in the sun and rain to fetch this money , how can they seat in their air conditioned offices and keep information about the money we all generated to themselves? "

Concluding his statement, he said :

"I just want to let you know that kwirs management are trying hard not to declare what they generated as revenue in the course of last year to the public"

Meanwhile, this is almost a week after the party , KWIRS management is yet to make public declaration of the total amount generated in the year 2021. A search into the organisation official website did not show anything relating to such .