Tension As Anambra Retrenched Staff, Community Revenue Officers Accuse AIRS Of Professional Misconduct

By Chuks Eke—

Palpable tension has arisen at the Revenue House of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS) following the dismissal of over 200 workers from the state revenue department.

The affected revenue workers reacted negatively shortly after receiving news of their dismissal via an internal memo from AIRS management, dated 18th February 2026, and signed by Nwalusi Ifeanyi, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the state internal revenue service.

Describing their dismissal as “unlawful and unjust”, the workers – primarily Community Revenue Officers (CROs) and other staff – insisted that due process was not followed.

The disgruntled workers argued that the dismissal, based on alleged failure of a strategic tax collection examination organised by the state government in conjunction with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), was not in line with the new tax law.

This law provides for Revenue Houses across the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to operate autonomously, including the training and retraining of staff without external interference.

The memo read, in part: “As part of AIRS’s ongoing restructuring and based on the PwC-administered CBT results, I am directed to convey approval for the dismissal of Community Revenue Officers on the attached list, having not met the required pass mark.

Action required: Hand over all AIRS tools, ID cards and materials in your possession to the Administration/HR Department. Deadline: Complete handover on or before Tuesday, 19th February 2026, and the dismissal takes immediate effect. Compliance: Failure to comply will attract sanctions, up to and including legal proceedings.”

Reacting to the development during a press briefing in Awka, the aggrieved workers, speaking through Chukwuebuka Okeke, appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently intervene to prevent hardship.

They argued that, under the new tax law, Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) has no right whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of AIRS. “As far as we are concerned, this dismissal is a misuse of governance,” they stated.

“What PwC did in the name of a tax examination was nothing but a sham and professional misconduct. If this dismissal goes ahead, it means seven years of labour for AIRS will have been in vain.”

“This is the first time many of us have sat such an examination. A first attempt should not be used to justify our competence in the taxation sector. We are begging our hardworking governor to reinstate us to our departments to allow us to learn. Dismissing us is not a good option. We need training and retraining.”

They also appealed to Governor Soludo and the AIRS management to reconsider the dismissal memo for the sake of the existing relationship with the affected workers.

They further alleged that the former AIRS Chairman, Dr Greg Ezeilo, contributed to the current issues within the agency. They claimed that during his tenure, Ezeilo appointed Mrs Oyeka Amara as Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on IGR (Technical), presenting her as a revenue administration professional.

According to them, Amara was later identified as the Chairman’s spouse, a relationship they claim was not disclosed to the government or staff at the time of her appointment.

They alleged that this arrangement raised governance concerns, with several departmental heads reportedly sidelined in operational decisions while the agency’s activities were largely coordinated by the former chairman and his wife.

They claimed this contributed to internal administrative challenges within the revenue service. Some of the dismissed workers have therefore called on the state government to review the circumstances surrounding the restructuring exercise and recall the affected staff.

They also urged the governor to remove Oyeka Amara from her current role as Executive Director, Direct Tax Assessment, to restore transparency and confidence within the revenue agency.

However, in a swift response, the state Commissioner for Finance, Izuchukwu Okafor, told newsmen by phone that the dismissal followed due process, as the affected workers failed two examinations on strategic tax collections organised by the state government in conjunction with the consultancy firm, Price Waterhouse Coopers.