The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kogi State Council, has called for stronger collaboration with the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS), appealing for the inclusion of journalists in the Service’s training and capacity building programmes.
The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Ademu Seidu Haruna, made the appeal on Wednesday in a message during a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe, in his office in Lokoja.
Comrade Haruna, who was represented by his Vice Chairman, Comrade Obansa Ibrahim, said the visit was to appreciate the leadership of the Service for what he described as “remarkable achievements” in revenue generation and to encourage the organisation to do more for the development of the state.
“We are here to pay you this courtesy visit and to thank you for the good job you are doing. The transformation we are seeing in revenue collection and administration in Kogi State is commendable,” he said.
The NUJ Chairman noted that the media plays a critical role in educating the public on taxation, fiscal policies, and government programmes, and therefore needs to be properly equipped.
“In the spirit of partnership, we respectfully request that the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service considers journalists for inclusion in your training programs. When journalists are trained, they are better equipped to interpret and report government policies accurately, and that will help deepen public understanding and voluntary compliance,” he added.
Comrade Haruna assured the IRS boss of the Union’s readiness to partner with the Service in public enlightenment campaigns aimed at boosting Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of KGIRS, Alhaji Sule Salihu Enehe, expressed appreciation to the NUJ delegation and described the media as a strategic partner in achieving the mandate of the Service.
“We are in line with what you have said. We shall make sure we include journalists in our training programs. This is in line with the directive of the present administration to carry all stakeholders along,” he said.
Alhaji Enehe directed the Director of Administration to pay an assessment visit to the NUJ Secretariat in Lokoja to work out modalities for the collaboration.
“We appreciate the partnership with the media in the state. The media remains our mouthpiece to the people. We will continue to work together to ensure that Kogites understand the importance of tax payment and its benefits in terms of development,” he stated.
The KGIRS Chairman further commended the NUJ for its professionalism and pledged the Service’s support for any initiative that would enhance accurate reportage of government activities.
