Onyeme Left Remarkable  Footprints As A Revenue Service Boss

By Wilson Osemele Jnr

The Former Executive Chairman,  Delta State Internal Revenue Service and  Delta PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate Sir Monday Onyeme, a Chartered Accountant per excellence,  a Scholar and a Tax Administrator who is highly regarded as a thoroughbred professional, intellectual luminary and large-hearted philanthropist left an applaudable and remarkable footprints as the revenue service boss.

When he resumed duty as the Executive Chairman, Delta State  Internal Revenue Service 30th September, 2015, the first thing he did was to organize a strategic retreat at Songhai-Amukpe-Sapele to prepare his team for the task ahead. Although overwhelming it seem at the beginning, Onyeme has been able to bring to bear his over 25 years experience as an Accountant of high repute . Under his leadership, the Revenue Service was revamped, redesigned and repacked to meet the needs of the Delta State Government.

He  organized the “Day of Glamour and Civic Responsibility” in Asaba to create greater awareness on citizens’ responsibility to pay tax, in conjunction with the entertainment industry in Asaba and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), thus, strengthening relationship with the growing entertainment industry In Asaba with a view to greater tax compliance.

When oil prices plummeted to the lowest level . Allocation to States from the federal account have nosedived as the Nation experience recession  and the combination of Accountability and transparency which Onyeme impacted repositioned the Board towards increasing revenue to support the SMART Agenda of the Okowa’s led administration.

During the thick era of recession, Onyeme was at all time up and doing looking deeply inward, developing productive strategies, monitoring the effects of the recession and the possibilities of obeying the tax laws by taxpayers. Indeed he strengthened collaboration with tax and revenue stakeholders, formal, informal, individual and corporate tax payers in the state towards total tax compliance as well as easy and convenient tax payment and collection systems.

In 2014 before Onyeme came in as the Executive Chairman of Board, the service generated 43b and in his first tenure in office he raised the Internally generated revenue to 64.7 Billion in 2019. The revenue service has not generated this kind of IGR since the existence of the board. From 64.7 Billion in 2019, Onyeme further raised the bar of the state IGR to 80 Billion in 2021.

Onyeme’s wealth of experience and vast understanding of new and modern frontiers of economic opportunities in terms of wealth creation, knowledge economy,  and revenue generation translated into huge tax dividends which  leapfrog Delta State into an emerging high growth economy as enshrined in the Stronger Delta Agenda of the Okowa’s led administration.

Having proved his mettle in revenue generation in his first term, Governor Okowa, in his magnanimity reappointed Sir Monday Onyeme as the Executive Chairman, Delta State Internal Revenue Service.

During his reign, he  collaborated with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on motor vehicle licencing, driver’s license and revenue-related matters as well as  security agencies and bodies in recognition of security as a prerequisite for growth of businesses and industries. He also embarked on a tough compliance exercise on tax evaders and defaulters in various establishments, individual and corporate bodies across the state.

Onyeme expanded the state tax net, blocked leakages and proved that the state can realize its taxes by raking in needed revenue to help drive the present Stronger Delta Agenda of the Okowa’s led administration.

When the state, the nation and the world at large are faced with the pandemic that ate deeply into the fabrics of the economy, the Revenue Service  under the leadership of Sir Monday John Onyeme whose effort is to allow businesses to fully commence business activities after the compulsory lockdown  and to cushioned the effects of the Coronavirus on businesses, Onyeme doles out Palliatives to Private Primary And Secondary Schools, Eateries and Hotels in respects to Penalties and Interest from 2010 to 2019 and  also  extended the deadline for the filing of Annual Tax Returns (Employees And Self Employed Persons) for the year 2020 from 31st March to 30th June 2020.

Under Onyeme’s leadership, Staff of the revenue service enjoyed professional training and he created a conducive working environment for staff as well as taxpayers. Some of the trainings Includes,

1. Training by UK-DFID/GEMS3 on the Harmonization of MDAs Levies and Charges 19th  November, 2021
2. ASCON Seven Weekend Training programme  2016
3. Training by African Institute for Public Policy, 2016
4. Training by African Institute for Public Policy, 24th – 28th April, 2019, 2016
5. SEEFOR Training13th – 14th June, 2016
6. Training by African Institute for Public Policy on Public Procurement in Nigeria for Federal, State and Local Government Officials 28th – 30th September, 2016
7. CITN TAX CONEFERENCE   17th – 20th May, 2017
8. UIDC pre-retirement planning training 27th – 20th June, 2017
9. Mandatory Professional Training programme for ICAN, ANAN, NBA2017
10. Performance Monitoring and Evaluation in the Public Sector3rd to 7th July, 2017
11. CITN MTPT 12th – 13th October, 2017
12. Training by African Institute for Public Policy Management Training Programme 20th – 24th November, 2017
13. ASCON Training 20th – 24th November, 2017
14. Training on Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS)17th December, 2017
15. Re-Orientation of DBIR staff on effective drive of the S.M.A.R.T. agenda 7th February, 2018
16. ASCON Training 9th – 13th April, 2018
17. Pre-retirement training 23rd – 26th April, 2018
18. Training on Work Efficiency and Performance Improvement 9th – 10th May, 2018
19. 2018 Seven Weekend Management Training Programme19th October, 2018
20. Seminar on Productivity and Work Ethics 26th to 29th March, 2019
21. 2019 Seven Weekend Management Training Programme 19th August, 2019
22. ICAN Annual Accountants Conference, Abuja 9th – 13th September, 2019
23. Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) – Capacity Building Programme 22nd – 23rd March, 2019
24. Public Sector Functional management Programme for State and Local Government 17th to 22nd November, 2019
25. Training programme for Heads of Stations and their deputies 18th -19th December 2020
26. Funding of CMBS Assessment Training 27th January, 2021

Monday Onyeme who went further to bring in the Joint Tax Board JTB from Abuja down to Warri, Delta State which has nevered happened  for a TEN WEEKS  JTB Final Course training for Staff of the Revenue Service. This is to equipped our revenue administrators with knowledge on the multiple facets of tax administration which will expose them to new and better ways of managing the revenue generating process and procedures required for optimal harnessing of the inherent revenue potentials.

Sir Monday John Onyeme, a scholar and tax administrator has showcased capacity and has demonstrated readiness to ensure continous Increase of the Internally Generated Revenue during his reign , he beamed the revenue searchlights on truck boats, haulage, and other oil and gas, marine related businesses for an Optimal Increase of the Internally Generated Revenue Of the State. The establishment of the Joint Taskforce on Road Taxes yielded an impressive results. 

The Story of Onyeme is an exploration into a world of excellence as his impressive credentials, his uncommon achievements and contributions  bear an eloquent testimony of a man who is the Delta State PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate. No doubts,  he will make Deltans proud, his contributions will quicken the actualization of the M.O.R.E Agenda that is geared towards advancing all sectors in the state.