A Makurdi-based legal practitioner, Moses Lubem Ukpo, has issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government to immediately correct what he described as a breach of law in the appointment of Executive Directors of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS), warning that failure to do so could result in legal action.
Ukpo, the Principal Partner of M. Lubem Ukpo & Associates, told journalists in Makurdi on Monday that five of the six recently appointed Executive Directors allegedly violate provisions of the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025.
According to him, the Act clearly stipulates that appointments into the NRS executive management must be made on a rotational basis among states within each geopolitical zone, following alphabetical order. He said only the appointment of Iniabasi Akpan from Akwa Ibom State, representing the South-South zone, complies with the law.
Ukpo argued that appointments across the remaining five geopolitical zones did not follow the prescribed rotation. In the North-Central zone, he said the position should have gone to Benue State rather than Niger State, from where Muhammad A. Lawal was appointed.
Similarly, he noted that in the North-West zone, Jigawa State should have been considered ahead of Kano State, yet Amina Ado Kurawa from Kano was appointed. In the North-East, Adamawa State was reportedly bypassed for Borno State, resulting in the appointment of Shettima Tamadi.
For the South-West, Ukpo said Ekiti State ought to have been selected instead of Lagos State, which produced Bolaji Akintola, while in the South-East, Abia State should have taken precedence over Imo State, from where Obinna Ihedioha was appointed.
The lawyer warned that the alleged violations undermine the credibility, legality, and operational integrity of the Nigerian Revenue Service, adding that allowing such appointments to stand could set a dangerous precedent for governance and statutory compliance.
Ukpo further noted that the NRS Act is one of four recently enacted tax reform laws currently attracting public scrutiny over alleged alterations and questionable insertions.
He urged the Federal Government to act swiftly to correct the anomalies in line with the law, stressing that failure to do so would leave affected stakeholders with no option but to seek redress in court.
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