The Chartered Institute of
Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), has accused the Imo State Government of sudden redeployment of some tax professionals from the state Board of Internal Revenue to other ministries and appealed for the reverse of such action by the Governor.
The revelation was made through an address read by the Chairman of Owerri District of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Basil E. Iwu, during their recently concluded 2-day Mandatory Professional Training Programme (MPTP) held at the De-Range Hotel and Suites, New Owerri, Imo State.
The chairman stressed that the redeployment of his fellow tax professionals has affected the smooth operations and activities of Owerri District CITN as well as affecting the optimal performance of those professionals.
He equally called on the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocaha, to grant a full autonomy to the Imo State Board of Internal Revenue in order to enhance the revenue generation of the state with the inputs of those tax professional board employees.
The chairman asserted that the action of Governor Okorocha’s redeployment of  tax professionals to other ministries since 2016, runs contrary to the provisions of the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) 2011, as amended and other extant laws that could demoralize the interest of the members.
The Chairman therefore called on the national president of CITN, Mr. Cyril Ikemefuna Ede, to use his good office in persuading the Governor to bring those redeployed tax administrators back to the Board of Internal Revenue, Owerri where they would continue to exhibit their tax professional expertise.
In his own contribution, the National President advised all the tax professionals to be mindful of the temptation of falsifying tax clearance for politicians who may in turn find them unfit as tax administrators on assumption of office.
He instructed the tax administrators to be sincere in all their tax dealings within their areas of operations especially during elections.

Valentine Nduka, Owerri