In line with the passion of the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq led administration to improve the education sector and have youth inclusiveness government, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS), today Tuesday 18th May, 2021 rewards schools, teachers and students that emerged winners during the 2018 Tax Club Quiz Competition.
The awardees, who made it to the finals in the 2018 Tax Club Quiz Competition, held on the 1st of December 2018, comprised six schools, eighteen students and three teachers, out of the 238 registered schools and over 256 students at the competition.
Recipients rewarded for excellence performance at the 2018 Tax Club Quiz Competition were Shepherd Senior Secondary School, Lafiagi; Government Unity Secondary School, Kaiama; Agbonna High School, Share; Muslim Model Secondary School, Idi-Ori and Government Girls Day Secondary School, Oko-Erin.
In her remarks, during the physical meeting with all recipients of the prizes, the Executive Chairman, KW-IRS, Shade Omoniyi, expressed her delight in fulfilling the promise of various payments to all winners.
She noted that, the objectives of the tax club quiz competition for secondary schools in the State, include ensuring students have clear understanding of the role of tax in the development of an economy, create an interactive atmosphere for students to share ideas and contribute positively to the economic development of the State in particular and the country at large, allow for positive competition among schools in tax debate and quiz towards building career in taxation and other related area of study and rewarding active and excellent performance.
The KW-IRS boss, added that aside the KW-IRS Tax Club’s purpose of tax advocacy and raising a tax-compliant generation, it has equally provided the State, through the Service, an avenue to carry out its developmental projects. The Tax Club Quiz Competition has been a source of remarkable development in the education sector and among students as prizes for winners are primarily meant for the provision of infrastructure for schools and scholarships for students.
Omoniyi further pledged continued advancement of the cause of the Kwara State government through right engagement and collaboration, towards creation of the Kwara of our dream.
In their various remarks, the Proprietress of the school that came first at the competition, Shepherd Senior Secondary School, Lafiagi, Mrs Rebecca Gana stated that the prize of N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira Only) to the school, was expended on construction of perimeter fencing of the school as proposed to the Service.
She expressed her gratitude, and added that the fencing of the school served both security measure and a facelift for the school.
Speaking for Government Unity Secondary School, Kaiama, the first runner up, the Principal, Alhaji Abdullahi Muhammed Namalla, stated that he was impressed that the Executive Chairman, Shade Omoniyi kept to the promise of ensuring all outstanding prizes from the last administration were paid up.
He pointed out that although the initial project plan was to use the awarded prize of N2, 000,000.00 (Two Million Naira Only) to the school for renovation of the school building, but for the speedy intervention of His Excellency, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq in the dilapidated state of his school and a comprehensive renovation of the school done by Governor Abdulrazaq, the project prize as given by KW-IRS was used for procurement of the needed furniture and for construction of sporting arena for the school.
The second runner up, Agbonna High School, Share, in its project presentation, displayed pictures of the completed renovated library, furniture and books procured for the school with the prize of N1,000,000.00 (One Million Naira Only).
The project manager of the school, Mrs Afusat Musa, sadly noted that, the completed project for the school as sponsored by KW-IRS and other buildings of the school were set ablaze at the last communal crises between Share and Ikange communities of Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State and called for urgent intervention of the State government to allow for normal activities to resume in the school.
Other category of awards was for the three Best Teachers, whose schools came 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions at the 2018 tax club quiz competition. Each of the teacher received a cash prize of N300, 000.00, N200, 000.00 and N100, 000.00 respectively.
Similarly, prizes to the eighteen students that made it to the finals were categorized into N500, 000.00 for each of the student in the 1st position, N300,000.00 for each student in the 2nd position, N150,000.00 for 3rd position, N100,000.00 and N75,000.00 for students in 4th and 5th positions.
Recipients of the prizes disclosed that they have lost hope in getting the prizes redemeed, considering the year the event was held. They expressed their joy, appreciation, timely and life-changing situations the payment of the prizes were for the schools and their families and prayed God’s continuous blessings and wisdom on Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and all working with him for the growth and peace of Kwara state.
Giving her response on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, the Assistant Director, School Services, Mrs Alalade R. I who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, lauded the gesture of the State through the KW-IRS and encouraged all beneficiaries of the prizes to embrace the tax quiz competition put up by State for what it is.
“This tax competition is not for the financial benefits therein, but to have knowledge of taxes and taxation. Let the citizens of our dear State and every taxable adult you come across, know that it is barbaric not to pay tax”, she said.
Mrs Alalade, who has been the schedule officer for the Tax Quiz Competition from the Ministry since its inception, joined her voice to that of the Executive Chairman of KW-IRS to reiterate that the government of the day is caring and will continue to advance education and youth-centred development in the State.
The ceremony had in attendance the Director, Admin and Operations, KW-IRS, Olatunji Balogun, Director, Legal and Compliance, KW-IRS, Shehu Mogaji Abdullahi Esq. Others at the event include the constituted committee members of tax club quiz competition for KW-IRS, who are also staff of the Service, headed by Babatunde Salawu and staff of Corporate Affairs department of KW-IRS.
Signed
Corporate Affair Department, KW-IRS
18th May, 2021
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