Kwara State Internal Revenue Service Denies Ethnic Discrimination Allegations
The management of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (Kw-IRS) has reaffirmed its commitment to the fair collection of personal income tax and other revenues, emphasizing that the agency operates in strict compliance with federal laws and without any ethnic or religious discrimination.
In a statement issued in Ilorin by Funmilola Oguntunbi, Head of Corporate Affairs, Kw-IRS, the agency addressed and refuted recent allegations of victimization against Igbo traders.
These claims were reported by an online platform, which Kw-IRS contends is aiming to incite ethnic sentiments and garner undue public sympathy.
The statement read: “The attention of the Service has been drawn to a false, malicious, and inciting publication on 31st July 2024 by one online publication, International Centre for Investigative Reporting, against the personality of the Governor of Kwara State and the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service respectively.”
Kw-IRS suggested that the false narrative might be linked to members of the Kwara State Igbo Traders Association (KWAITA), who recently filed a legal action against the Service on 12th July 2024. This lawsuit, identified as suit KWS/308/24 – NWANKWO SYLVESTER & 90 ORS VS KWARA STATE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE & 2 ORS, pertains to similar allegations.
The statement continued: “This action of twisting the facts through a media publication is, therefore, in bad faith.”
Kw-IRS emphasized that there has been no directive from Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to discriminate against any individual or group based on religion, ethnicity, or other personal social identities.
The agency firmly denied any intent to victimize or target specific communities, affirming its commitment to equitable and lawful revenue collection practices.
