The Kano State Concerned Citizens have called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to immediately sack the management of the Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) and replace them with more competent and qualified indigenes of Kano State.
The group specifically demanded the removal of the Chairman of KIRS, Dr. Zaid Abubakar, and the Executive Director of Revenue Operations, Mr. Kassim Ismail, citing alleged incompetence and poor performance.
Speaking in an interview with Our sources, the group accused the current KIRS leadership of failing to diversify the state’s revenue base since their appointments, alleging continued over-reliance on Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) and other existing statutory revenue sources.
The chairman of the group, Comrade Abubakar Yusuf, said the high expectations that accompanied the appointment of the current management had not been met.
“Since assuming office, they have not been able to diversify the state’s revenue base. What we see is continued dependence on PAYE and other already established revenue sources,” Yusuf said.
He further accused the KIRS leadership of setting unrealistic and unattainable revenue targets.
“All the targets they set have failed and were not realistic except on paper. A clear example is the 2026 target of N15 billion in monthly revenue, which they have clearly failed to achieve,” Yusuf alleged.
The group also accused Dr. Abubakar of using his position to pursue personal interests, claiming that his actions were deliberately steering the agency in a way that could provoke public resentment against the present administration.
“Dr. Zaid Abubakar is visibly using the office to promote and coordinate his personal interests and has been deliberately driving the service in an unpopular direction to elicit the anger of the electorate against the present administration,” Yusuf alleged.
Raising political concerns, the group questioned the loyalty of the KIRS chairman, citing what they described as double standards and uncertainty over whether he aligns with the Kwankwasiyya movement or tendencies linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) within Governor Yusuf’s administration.
The Concerned Citizens also expressed concern over alleged job losses at the agency following the assumption of office by the current leadership.
“We note with sadness that upon assuming office, Dr. Zaid sacked many casual workers who are indigenes of Kano and who contributed immensely to the election of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf during the general elections, rendering them jobless,” Yusuf said.
According to the group, Governor Yusuf should act swiftly by dissolving the current management and appointing competent Kano indigenes who understand the local economy and are committed to the success of the administration.
“We are calling on His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, to sack the current KIRS leadership and replace them with capable and experienced Kano indigenes who will protect the interests of the state and deliver on revenue generation without undermining the government,” Yusuf added.
The group further called on Dr. Abubakar and Mr. Ismail to “take the path of honour” by resigning from their appointments.
Kano Times reports that Dr. Zaid Abubakar, originally from Kaduna State, served as Chairman of the Kaduna State Internal Revenue Service (KDIRS) from 2019 to 2023 before his appointment as Executive Chairman of KIRS in 2024. He was appointed alongside Mr. Kassim Ismail, who hails from the South West.
Efforts to get a response from the KIRS chairman were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report, as his phone lines were switched off.
