FCT Minister Muhammad Bello on Tuesday announced the confirmation of Malam Abdullahi Attah as Chairman/Chief Executive of Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service (FCT-IRS) by House of Representatives.
He said the confirmation ended the process of ratification by the two chambers of the national legislature and paved the way for the agency’s commencement of operation.
Bello stated this in an interactive session with FCT Executive Council, Area Council Chairmen, heads of security agencies and traditional rulers in Abuja.
The minister expressed hope that the coming into effect of the FCT IRS would boost the Administration’s revenue profile and provide fund for the implementation of projects that would make life meaningful for FCT residents.
He said the session was convened to build partnership between stakeholders and the FCT leadership.
He added that the Administration considered it essential to hear from traditional rulers, Area Council chairmen and other stakeholders: their priorities, challenges and suggestions for input in the 2018 budget.
The minister assured that the Administration was working to ensure early preparation of the 2018 budget while reiterating his renewed emphasis on bringing development closer to the people in
the second phase of his Administration.
He indicated that he would like to have every chiefdom to benefit from one project in the coming year.
According to him, FCT Administration is desirous of ensuring that the benefits of governance are felt at the grassroots.
He said “this is why the focus of the second half of this administration will centre on education, health facilities and rural infrastructure, among others.”
Bello noted that FCT was set to recruit 300 teachers to bridge the gap created by various retirements and other sources of manpower attrition in the sector.
The new FCT-IRS chairman is a 1978 accountancy graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, born on Jan. 15, 1952 and hails from Doma in Nasarawa State.
He qualified as chartered accountant in 1987.
Attah was General Manager Finance, NITEL in 1996 and later founding member of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC – 2003.
He was Special Adviser to the Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service FIRS and Director in the same organisation – 2010 — until his retirement in 2013.
Attah is currently a member of the governing council of Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State.