· Targeted married women cry out for help
· How commissioner deployed 18 personal aides to revenue agency
Imo Internal Revenue Service (IIRS) formerly called the Board of Internal Revenue that has been on the front burner of public discourse for quite some time as a result of irregularities and non compliance with laid down rules, procedure and guidelines in the appointment of staff, management and sundry issues, is said to be presently rocked by a debilitating sex scandal.
Investigation by this reporter reveals that since the emergence of Dr Doris Uzoka Anite as commissioner for finance despite overwhelming public outcry and her controversial decision to deploy eighteen of her aides,most of whom are not even from Imo to man key positions in the IIRS as Technical Advisers things have gone gaga in the establishment
Grapevine sources indicate that aside a litany of irregularities and discrepancies including alleged diversion and misappropriation of funds by the management of the establishment most of who are either aides or former aides of the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Doris Uzoka Anite, sexual harassment is also said to be at its peak as most targeted married women who refuse to play along are intimidated and threatened with termination of appointment.
A source in the Human Resource department who pleaded anonymity said, “hell has been let loose against young married women and newly married women who are staff of the IIRS, since the new sheriffs took over the helm of affairs. One of the Board members popularly known as “Figures is the arrow head of this reprehensible act of sleeping with young married women against their wish.”
“Any of the targeted married women who for any reason refuses to play along is slammed with disciplinary actions based on trumped up allegations just to break her resolve.”
It was also gathered that the cat was let out of the bag when the Board member popularly called “Figures” was allegedly caught in the act with a married woman right inside his office.
“As a result, the woman’s husband who stays in Ghana, has been threatening fire and brimstone, hence the marriage is presently heading for the rocks.”
Information available to our news desk indicate that the said “Mr Figures” who was a member of the former Board was retained because of his purported loyalty to the commissioner of finance who he reportedly works hands in gloves with. He was also accused of acting and parading himself as the defecto chairman of the IIRS intimidating and threatening young ladies with sack letters, suspension etc, if they refuse to play along with him.
“He reportedly brags that the commissioner has penciled him down as the next Executive Chairman of the Board once the Interim Management Executive from the Ministry of Finance completes its tenure in the two months.”
The source further disclosed that some female staff of the establishment who are not pleasantly disposed to such messy affairs have concluded plans to send an SOS message to the governor through the Commissioner for Finance with a view to curtailing the excesses of the Onitsha, Anambra state born Mr Figures which they say is threatening to break their marriages. “He left his wife and family at Onitsha and came here to terrorize and unleash mayhem on other people’s wives.”
When contacted for comment on the issue, Mr Figures, the man at the centre of the storm denied being involved in such unwholesome development, pointing out that as a professional who knows his onion, he would under no circumstance condescend to such abysmal level.
Meanwhile,it was said that following series of complains,the agency set up a deciplinary committee to investigate allegations of sexual harrassment.It was not clear if the committee had submitted their report at the time of filing this report.
Recall, that Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper in its February 24, 2022 edition published a report captioned, “Suspicion as Uzodinma appoints Commissioner’s aide, Chairman of IIRS”.
The Nigeria Watchdog report, said “that the appointment of Dr Uzoka, Anite whose aide has recently been appointed Chairman of B.I.R was faulted by many concerned Imolites because of her link with Zenith Bank which has several financial unresolved issues with the Imo State government.
The appointment of the new boss of the Board of Internal Revenue,Dr Ifeanyi Okeke has also elicited serious concern in many quarters just like that of his principal, the commissioner for finance.
The Nigeria Watchdog Newspaper in one of its publications at the peak of the controversy elicited by the appointment Dr Doris Uzoka whose aide is presently chairman of the BIR stated, said, “Financial experts and members of the financial advisory committee set up by the former Imo State governor, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha to support his development agenda and other ancillary financial assignments have raised alarm faulting the recent appointment of Dr. Doris Nkeiruka Uzoka and have in a strong worded petition to the 9th Imo House of Assembly opposed the appointment of the candidate who they described as a former staff of Zenith Bank who is hired to do a hatchet job to cover the over N112billion illicit deal involving the bank.
In the four page petition to the Imo State house of Assembly through the speaker, signed by Dr Abraham Nwankwo and four others, backed with verifiable document, to the house against the commissioner tagged “request to save Imo State from continued assault, interest. The appointment of one Dr. Doris Nkeiruke Uzoka Anite of Zenith Bank Plc, as Commissioner for Finance vis-à-vis non recovery of N111.5 billion of state funds from Zenith Bank Plc. A case in point” the petitioner gave reasons why the lady should not be appointed as she is only there to cover the deal already known to the financial advisory committee and some Imolites.”
“Accordingly, we write to petition against the appointment of Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite as Finance Commissioner with the added mandate of coordinating the economy of Imo State, and the failure of the administration of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator Hope Uzodinma to recover amounts which have been established that Imo State was defrauded of by Zenith Bank Plc.
“Dr. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite is a former staff of Zenith Bank Plc which is the major bank involved in severe financial infractions tantamount to allegedly defrauding the State of over N111.5 billion.”
In view of the above, it is believed in several quarters that the appointment of the aid of the former commissioner whose integrity was questioned as chairman of a sensitive establishment like the BIR could be a grand design to cover up some issues, perpetrate sinister objectives and short change Imo people.”
