Group condemns sack of Benue IRS chair, says it’s vindictiveness

The Center for Democracy Watch (CDW) has condemned the sack of Mimi Orubibi-Adzape, chairman of the Benue State Internal Revenue Service (BIRS).

Hyacinth Alia, the governor, recently sacked Orubibi-Adzape and appointed Emmanuel Agema as the acting chairman of the service.

Reacting, John Udo, convener of the group, said Benue people are at a loss about what the current administration is up to, following the dismissal of appointees of Samuel Ortom, ex-governor of the state.

Describing the sack as “political vindictiveness”, the group said Alia’s decisions since he assumed office are now widely considered as anti-people.

“We would have opted to give the Benue state governor a benefit of doubt but his consistency and romance with irrational decisions that are now widely considered anti-people and political are a huge cause for concern amongst all well meaning people of the state,” the group said.

“For a man who came to right the wrongs of the past, he should show a difference in conduct especially as it relates to major decisions that would rob on the state image and development.

“It should not be seen that the new governor has prioritised the sacking of previous appointees including tenured, above other development concerns.

“Our women are crying of exclusion in appointments of the current governor and he has gone ahead to sack the only woman who was doing a good job.”

The group said though the government’s move to reform agencies in the state may be genuine, the sack of the BIRS chairman “confirms the fear that something is not right”.

“Her replacement is an assistant director who was not in the senior management cadre of the board above other senior management team, simply because he is the governor’s kinsman,” the group said.

“Within a few weeks in office, thousands of workers, democratically elected local government council chairmen and their legislative houses have been suspended in the face of ongoing litigation.”