By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa
Some protesters on Monday stormed the headquarters of the Nigerian Revenue Service (NRS) in Abuja, demanding a review of the recent appointment of six Executive Directors at the agency.
Operating under the banner of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, the demonstrators gathered at the Service’s premises, calling for strict adherence to statutory provisions governing the appointments.
Addressing journalists during the protest, the coalition’s leader, Amande Solomon, said the group had examined the appointments against the provisions of the Nigerian Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, 2025, and identified what it described as discrepancies.
According to him, five of the six newly appointed Executive Directors allegedly contravene the Act.
“We are calling for adherence to the rule of law and due process in the appointment of Executive Directors at the Service,” Solomon said.
He cited Section 17(1) of the Act, which stipulates that six Executive Directors should represent the geopolitical zones on a rotational basis among states in alphabetical order. The section also provides that the Executive Chairman and an Executive Director must not come from the same state.
Solomon argued that some of the recent appointments did not reflect these requirements as contained in the Act signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said members of the coalition, drawn from five geopolitical zones, visited the NRS headquarters to submit a formal letter outlining their concerns and requesting a review of the appointments.
Although security operatives initially restricted access to the premises, Solomon noted that representatives of the group were later allowed in to deliver the letter.
“We are here peacefully to submit our letter and present our concerns for onward transmission to the appropriate authorities,” he said.
Providing details of the alleged irregularities, Solomon maintained that based on the rotational principle, nominees should have emerged from Adamawa State for the North-East instead of Borno State; Benue State for the North-Central instead of Niger State; Jigawa State for the North-West; Abia State for the South-East instead of Imo State; and Ekiti State for the South-West instead of Lagos State.
He, however, acknowledged that the South-South appointment was consistent with the coalition’s interpretation of the Act.
The coalition urged relevant authorities, including the Executive Chairman of the Service, Zacch Adedeji, to review the appointments in line with the legal framework guiding the agency.
Solomon said the group expects a response within two weeks, warning that members would decide their next course of action if no action is taken.
