Chairman of FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja while receiving the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and his team who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
He said President Bola Tinubu’s security agenda is yielding tangible results, commending the Armed Forces and other security personnel for their dedication in securing the country.
Adedeji said the development is in line with President Tinubu’s avowed commitment to taxing prosperity and not poverty.
He said prosperity could only be achieved in an atmosphere of peace, stressing the critical importance of stakeholders in the security sector to the sustenance of peace in the country.
“The Armed Forces are critical stakeholders and you are central to the sustenance of peace in the country. The coordinating director, Large Tax Group made a presentation at the management meeting today on tax collection to date.
“And I am glad to say that, for the first time in a long while, we met our oil and gas target which is actually as a result of the peace that has been maintained where oil and gas facilities are located. And this is because production is happening and companies are making more profit from it.
“To strengthen the morale of our security operatives, President Bola Tinubu is committed to your welfare as well as giving them state-of-the-art equipment and machinery to work with.”
He said just a month ago, the President approved the disbursement of a huge amount of money for 1,550 units of housing estate for security personnel. “This underscores the fact that the President appreciates what you are doing for the country. And as you can see now, you are also critical to our success,” Adedeji said.
A statement by the FIRS chairman’s Special Adviser on Media, said Adedeji pledged to support the successful hosting of the forthcoming African summit for Chiefs of Defence Staff to be hosted by Nigeria in Abuja.
“We will always be open to collaborate in order to sustain peace, to increase prosperity and develop our dear nation. On behalf of the President and all of us at FIRS, we thank you for the good job you are doing in maintaining peace and safety for all of us,” Adedeji added.
Speaking earlier, General Musa commended the management team of the tax agency for rallying resources for the country to meet its needs and fund the operations of the Armed Forces.
He said since Adedeji assumed office as the head of FIRS, “we have seen changes, very remarkable changes.
“For us in the Armed Forces, we are nothing without funds. To even buy the good big guns we are carrying will be difficult without the funding. So, I want to say thank you. Over the years, you have made our job a lot easier, although we keep on asking for more.
“I think that is the goal in support of Mr President in Nigeria. This is because without the funds made available, nothing can work. We have seen that revenue has increased. In fact, I think almost ten fold.”
The Army chief acknowledged the introduction of new initiatives by the FIRS that are making very positive impact. “It is the boldness that actually has encouraged us in what we are doing. And that is why we are putting everything we have in order to support and ensure there is peace and security in the country,” he said.
He informed his host that Nigeria is hosting the maiden edition of the African Chiefs of Defence Staff Conference in Abuja, adding that since it has never been done before, it is an avenue to showcase Nigeria to Africa and to the world.
He said most of these countries that pretend that they are supporting Africa in the area of security most times are responsible for some of these problems that we try to solve. “So having them organize security conferences for us is just like you are going to talk to the devil,” he said.
“So, in line with that, we feel it is important that we’re able to call all chiefs of defense staff in Africa. Let us come as brothers and sisters and discuss African problems so that we can provide an African solution to them.”