Alkali: Gombe IRS hits N13 billion collection mark in 2022
By Ben Ngwakwe Gombe
Basically, the way in which a leader behaves and influences the activities of his employees and workers is very important in an organisation as sensitive as Gombe State Internal Revenue Service.
No doubt, scholars of public administration categorised leadership style into three types namely; Autocratic, Democratic and Laissez -faire leadership.
In the above premises, since Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali, the Executive Chairman of Gombe State Internal Revenue Service assumed office on 24th October, 2022 the narrative has changed for good.
Alkali who is also a financial expert and multiple awards recipient has ensured within the short time that the Revenue Service wore a new look both in the improvement of human and material resources with the welfare of the staff as his priority.
Our correspondent reports that as at Tuesday,10th January, 2023 the revenue generations of Gombe State Internal Revenue Service has increased tremendously from N10.5 billion Naira in 2021 to over N13 billion Naira in 2022.
Alkali, who holds the traditional title of “Katukan Nafada”, belongs to the category of democratic leaders that allows the staff and management to discuss on all policies relating to goal- setting and the activities to achieve the set goals as arrived at through such staff participation.
It is not surprising considering the pedigree of this dynamic Accounting Guru, who as a democratic leader allows staff to suggest alternatives and receive suggestions made in that direction with the intent that effective communication flow, the collective objectives of the organisation must be met without unnecessary interference, provided the collective goals from common efforts of the staff is achieved unlike the autocratic and laissez faire leadership which, often than not, allows employees to work at cross purposes because of autocratic and oppressive tendencies of the leader towards it’s subordinates.
Investigation also revealed that all the staff of the Service are given 100 percent as the cost of collection unlike the autocratic administration that paid 50 percent as cost of collection to the staff.
The bureaucratic bottleneck that has characterised the previous administration has gone while the staff who spoke to our Correspondent said, “the working relationship with the staff and management has greatly improved making the staff to put in their best to achieve set goals of the Service.”
According to them, the new leadership of Alhaji Salihu Baba Alkali who is also a two-time Chairman of the Service has been paying all the entitlements and allowances promptly.
“Our entitlements and allowances of the management and staff is paid promptly unlike during the administration of Abubakar Inuwa Tata,” a source said.
They added that it was the current Chairman who is working with letters and philosophy of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya led- administration in area of service delivery and greater efficiency.
Meanwhile, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has made it clear that “we reposition the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service for greater efficiency and enhanced service delivery. We have rolled out courageous and far-reaching reforms that enabled us become one of the fastest growing States in revenue generation.”
