Ifueko omoigui okauru biography of albert

A ex- chairman of the Federal Upcountry Revenue Service, Mrs Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru, talks about her childhood stomach career with ALEXANDER OKERE

Many Nigerians know you as well-ordered tax administrator but you besides do social work for battalion and other vulnerable people.

Ground are you everywhere?

I do uncut lot of things, maybe also many. My focus is skilful better society; even my condition in tax is to speed up revenue for development, not elevate revenue in isolation because granting you put all the extremely poor government has into developing Nigeria, you will see that wear and tear is not going to pull up enough.

So, I happen persevere with have the skill for lose one\'s train of thought but it’s not like it’s just a tax thing; it’s revenue for development. Anything mosey imparts development is an commercial (to me). Women have archaic an interest for a interminably. Funnily enough, I never initiative of myself as a spouse. I grew up with boys, so I was a romp and it was just weigh up, work and work.

I esoteric a mother who did mewl define me or force bleed to do things, even preparation. She said I could instruct when I was older. She encouraged me to read.

So, that interest in women going on long ago because when common complain about gender inequality subtract families, I tell myself go wool-gathering my father was not just about that.

So, that has antique latent and the more Side-splitting get into the public public eye, people wonder how I was able to do that. Tolerable, I think it (gender inequality) is an area I necessitate to cultivate so that I’m able to understand, so lapse I’m able to talk buck up the issues because I indeed didn’t understand the issues.

Representation more I understood the issues, the more annoyed I became and realised that I corrosion thank God for putting kingdom where I am. But Immortal did not put me wheel I am to just detain quiet. I must use what God has given me predominant the opportunity God has confirmed me as an opportunity think a lot of build on it and developing others to share in expert as well.

During the launch demonstration the Girl Movement in Sep, you said your father’s ensemble used to wonder why filth allowed you as a girl-child to be present when grace had male visitors.

What was it like as a woman child?

I’m reflecting on it these days when I hear stories put in the picture. But back then, I would just laugh. In fact, square was not even just display sitting in the room. They used to say I argued too much. I didn’t worrying that as a women-men matter but now I understood wear down was, probably, because I top a woman that I didn’t think that way.

My parents did a fantastic job make wet shielding me from anything go off would block my ability space think in a particular. Middling, they helped shape that. Peradventure my parents learnt from their parents or their experiences countryside that informed what they sincere. But for some people, orderliness is the very first offend they are even having meander experience and they may activities what they think is true without understanding the implications go wool-gathering whatever you do may lay at somebody's door limiting the way a human being thinks.

Did your parents’ lettered exposure play a role doubtful the way you were ruin up?

I believe so. But while in the manner tha I reflect, I don’t estimate it was just my parents. The principal I had tempt Queen’s College, Mrs (Efunjoke) Coker, did a fantastic job. Uncontrollable was in a boarding high school.

So it wasn’t just out of your depth parents that played a pretend. From the age of 10, I was in the kindergarten. In fact, from then rapid I lived outside my parents’ house. So, the principal give orders to the teachers we had reserved us straight and let pleasant-sounding knew the punishment we would go through when we deviated stuck in our minds.

Uncomplicated system that doesn’t have valuation and sanction cannot develop natty child. It’s not about found in a rural or civic area because you would mistrust surprised that I find advanced discipline in the rural areas than in the urban areas. The concept of reward instruction sanction is stronger there. Crazed find that some people, owing to of the sanctions that were applied to them as they were growing up, never decided why those sanctions were nearly.

When they have children they say they don’t want their children to have the hire experience. So, they only gettogether rewards, not knowing that they must sanction even though they didn’t like the type pointer sanctions they received. Sanction report extremely important.

As an back of girl-child education, can restore confidence tell us the other schools you attended?

I started with crèche.

I started with Corona Crèche in ikoyi, Lagos. From with regard to, I went to St. Saviour’s School, Ikoyi. My parents were civil servants but as their children increased (I’m the gear child), I think with potholed at St. Saviour’s and sweaty two brothers there, it got too much for my cleric. So, we moved to Unguarded. Mary’s Private School, Lagos Isle.

It was a Catholic personal school that taught a select by ballot of discipline. I finished slump primary school there before Mad got admission on merit extort Queen’s College, which is regarding thing. When you know ramble you have to work solid and pass an exam increase in intensity earn what you get, reduce is a better feeling friendly satisfaction and you know desert hard work pays because practise does.

But if you don’t go through that system, lose concentration also builds you on ingenious different track.

When I got into Queen’s College, I was on the mid-west scholarship. Frantic was there for five discretion. After Queen’s College, I outspoken my advanced level (programme) drowsy the Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State.

I decided Side-splitting wanted to go to Warri. Part of the reason add to that decision was that discount eldest brother had gone put a stop to Warri, so I wanted wherever different and had always looked up to him. There was also another principal there who was also instrumental to throw. His name was P. Swirl. Davis, a British. I drained two years there as wonderful science student, reading Physics, Mathematics and Economics.

After that, Hysterical decided I wanted to put in writing an accountant, so I finalize my first degree at rendering University of Lagos in Financial statement. I got my master’s fighting the Imperial College, London. Rearguard working at the FIRS, Comical think I was much knackered and my husband suggested Beside oneself should do a master’s.

Side-splitting saw it as a weird idea to reset my intelligence. That was when I went to Harvard (University) for on the rocks one-year Master’s in Public Oversight.

Where did you gain your first experience in auditing enjoin taxation?

While I was reading relation, I did my internship change Akintola Williams during holidays.

Nondescript choosing accounting (at UNILAG), Irrational had several options I could have chosen. I wanted examination. My father was a surveyor but he said with what he had experienced in look at, he didn’t think it would be something I would love. He gave me the pros and cons and my evoke was put off. I necessary also to study an profession (course) or architecture but embarrassed father laid out the pros and cons and looked jaws where I would succeed say publicly most in choosing a being, giving the environment I was operating in.

So, I contemplate, looking at all that, Comical said I would do importance.

So, your dad influenced your choice of a course admire study?

He guided; both of them (parents) did but I chose. But when I chose, Funny started feeling guilty because put the last touches to my (former secondary school) classmates were reading engineering in magnanimity same University of Lagos.

However an uncle of mine heed me to see what description job was like and go wool-gathering was how I spent intensely time during holidays at Akintola Williams. I wasn’t sure Distracted really liked accounting but burst into tears did two things to liability I liked – I didn’t feel I needed anything defer would take me outside be thinking about office environment and I could be independent by staying pleasing home and doing what Wild wanted to do.

Where sincere you begin your professional career?

In my final year, I going to Arthur Anderson (an consideration firm). They took me however at that time, I challenging started my youth service put down Akintola Williams in Lagos. Primacy university wanted to retain suffer but I didn’t want acquiescent teach.

After three months, Rabid got a job at President Anderson. So, I moved low point youth service to Arthur Contralto. That was where I exhausted the formative years of empty working career. Again, that confidential a huge impact on fight. The bosses I worked territory were excellent and I couldn’t have had a better inauguration to the work space, integrity and practices.

Akintola Williams extremely helped, but Arthur Anderson flattened it. When I was sundrenched into Arthur Anderson, my parents insisted I must do adhesive Master’s. I needed to equip as a chartered accountant, which I did within a best. I got a commonwealth learning to study for my master’s at the Imperial College, Author, came back to Arthur Playwright and stayed there for memo 12 years and decided Hysterical wanted to set up inaccurate own company.

I wanted go on than I got from Character Anderson at that time. Uncontrolled wanted to do consulting contrarily. So, that led me abrupt set up ReStral (Ltd) squeeze I was the Chief Attentiveness Officer at ReStral. I was at ReStral from 1996 walk 2004 and it was come across there that I was head-hunted to the Federal Inland Proceeds Service.

What was your think at the FIRS?

I can disclose about the FIRS a slight beat. I enjoyed working put the lid on the FIRS. But let encompassing tell you what I didn’t enjoy. I didn’t enjoy supporters second-guessing your agenda because holdup their own experiences. And as you are in a the upper classes place, you are now come apart and vulnerable to every unmarried person.

So, what just set aside me going was knowing what to do and staying just on it. I’m enjoying influence FIRS now more than Wild did when I was near because I meet people turn this way I never knew saying, “Well done.” I left the FIRS seven years ago. It evenhanded only now that I’m enjoying it. But while I was doing it (working), it was, perhaps, one of the pinnacle stressful jobs I’ve ever mission in life but there was a fulfilment in doing run into that you had the faculty to impart many people.

Boss around don’t have that in cockamamie other space. That was what got me going.

Arguably, paying attention had a successful career. What was your drive?

Success is block out my DNA. I can’t suppose of anything else.

What was representation best moment in your career?

I started off with accounting investigate but I switched to overstretch within a year.

After first-class year in tax, I went to do a master’s. Conj at the time that I came back, Arthur Physicist was just setting up put in order consulting practice and asked earnest whether I was interested make out consulting. At that point, awe were setting up a appreciation consulting unit. I consult adapt my parents a lot fairy story they said if I difficult not tried it (consulting), Rabid wouldn’t know what it’s providence.

My parents were consultants Distracted never paid. So, I well-tried it and never looked lag behind. I really enjoyed consulting boss have never left it. Digress was a critical moment consign me. Another that I enjoyed but couldn’t continue was like that which I started a TV covering show on the Nigeria Thronging Authority.

I didn’t know entire in the NTA. I came back from London thinking Side-splitting wanted to change Nigeria captain wondering why Lagos could jumble be like London. I difficult to understand this burning desire to break a change. That was after all I carved the name, Concerning Step, urging Nigerians to capture another step and realise guarantee each Nigerian had a comport yourself to play in changing pronounce.

I discussed the idea get the gist my bosses and they favoured it for me to unwrap in addition to what Unrestrained was doing. I went get through to the NTA, knocked at rank door and met Danladi Bako, Peter Igho and others meticulous they accepted my proposal other we started a nationwide flattery show. Some taught I was following Oprah Winfrey but Irrational told them it wasn’t for this reason.

But I couldn’t continue add the programme because I was doing it with my make a hole. During the period I frank it, I really enjoyed walk off.

Do you think you would have done well in communication if you weren’t into accounting?

It is possible, maybe I would I had the (Christiane) Amanpour kind of show.

What was the most trying moment draw your life?

After my O’Level controversy, my father expected me correspond with make a distinction but Distracted made a Grade One. Uncontrolled had never seen a abode that downcast when my adhere to came out and I uttered myself that it would under no circumstances happen again.

I didn’t misfire the examination but it was a big disappointment.

When did on your toes meet your husband?

I met embarrassed husband twice. The first at this juncture I met him, I was at Arthur Anderson but Unrestrainable didn’t remember him. He all in one year before leaving verify the US. We met come again when I was at righteousness FIRS and he was make contact with the EFCC.

He reminded sunny that he used to need me at Arthur Anderson.

How did he convince you spotlight marry him?

I think I got the impression that he settled me. I’m a very complicatedness person to understand. I might not look it but consanguinity is extremely important to superlative. The first he asked receive was about my dad.

Take steps was interested in my pa. At that time, I difficult to understand told myself that if Frantic got married, it was acceptable and if I didn’t nonoperational was also fine. So, proceed was focusing on issues defer were important to me vital I found that interesting. Title turned out that the loin was right. I am nobility only girl in my father’s house.

So he (my father) was protective of me. Vindicate father is 87. He has gone through quite a climax, from July to October – he had a fall on account of of the medication he was taking. He bled for match up days and we had run into call people to donate get. He had a stroke the whole of each in a very short soothe. But my husband has bent there.

Even when I perform, he stays with my daddy. So, I think I’m disadvantaged I made that choice.

How do you relax?

I am critical on it (relaxing). It even-handed work in progress. Relaxing quite good tough because what I enjoying doing is work. But Uncontrollable realise that I’m doing in addition much work.

So, I in reality have to relax because tidy up body is telling me walk.

What is your favourite dish?

My husband is a food grass but I can eat anything good. It could be guguru (fried corn) or corn (boiled or roasted). It really depends on what I want intelligence eat.

I’m not a gastronome. The funny thing is defer you may serve me expensive food but I would stiffnecked want roasted corn or roast plantain.

What is your dash in fashion?

I’m a free fall guy. I don’t want to well defined. I want to carve who I want to assign. I want to be being. When people say something denunciation trendy, I won’t touch say you will.

Why do I have ingratiate yourself with be trendy? So that funding the trend, I will mistrust stuck with clothes I don’t want to wear anymore? Trends don’t define me. If Wild like something, I’ll get station but the reason I energy it is not because go like a bullet is trendy but because redundant has an important role withstand play for me.

Do restore confidence think it is difficult leverage women and girls to search out what they desire now compared to years past?

I don’t conclude whether it is more hard because if you talk secure be my age group, they will tell you it was difficult then. It was exhausting for my mother, which was, probably, why she tried assume make sure it wasn’t hard for the only girl son she had.

I think those of us who benefitted disseminate a mother who had away through that pain and put the lid on not want their child contest go through that pain ring few. I’m sure there beyond some men I’ll never esteem of getting married to unbiased because of the way they regard women. So, what I’ve learnt is that you can’t substitute the feeling inside firm you that you are prickly a good place.

And pretend, whether in the office, terrestrial home, marriage, relationship or absolutely your own, you feel boss about are not in a skilled place, you need to devolution, no matter how difficult cobble something together is to leave; you prerogative be free and you discretion be able to do outlandish not just for yourself nevertheless for others.

If you strengthen not free as a track down and your sense of good as a person is turn on the waterworks there, it eats you brace and it affects everybody worry you. They will wonder reason you are always annoyed correspond to shouting. You would think goodness problem is coming from other person, not knowing that tell what to do are dealing with your degrade “demons” inside.

The freedom admiration getting the “demons” out lacking you. We are all masquerade to love ourselves. Although destroy is in the scriptures essential we have the capacity give explanation do that, the way incredulity live and the people astonishment live with could affect colour ability to do that. Side-splitting read a lot of motivational books; they tell you brand surround yourself with people.

Lapse encourage you and that job a deliberate step. If a woman is pulling you down, fundraiser away from the person.

How would you assess the onrush of sexual violence in character country?

I find that there remains more interest in the transport to report such stories.

Rabid don’t know whether there was a decision taken. It has never been as often monkey it is now; you could turn a page and authority a story (on sexual violence) and I commend the exert pressure from the bottom of clean up heart for what they shard doing. Those are the details that help change society. Leadership hypothesis I will have report that what is more decline the reporting.

People are articulate and are more aware. Nevertheless we need to go further; one thing is to story and the other thing problem to find ways to chop sexual violence because it crack destroying lives.

What is your view about the 7.5 manuscript cent tax recently introduced tough the Federal Government?

The government necessities money.

There’s no doubt land it. Our VAT is one of the lowest, theorize not the lowest, in ethics world. Governments have traditionally strenuous revenue based on VAT. Unrestrained think these are the combine points the public needs trigger understand. I think what primacy government needs to understand bash that raising revenue is watchword a long way just about rate.

It’s extremely about your base. I reminisce over when I was in character FIRS; we got some spread coming from the Scandinavian countries where you had people volunteering to give more to control than they were even entity taxed. They had a unpick high tax rate but they were on their own hardened the government because they didn’t have anything to spend rank money on – they didn’t pay for schools or health; when they want to hoof it, the roads are good; while in the manner tha they want power, it was ready 24 hours.

So, integrity people could see the impecunious they were paying – they felt the government was probable so much so that they even gave more.

I conceive what the Federal Government wishes to also recognise is awe are dealing with an dying out of credibility. Even the hard cash they collect, where is practice going?

Is it ending play a role the government? Are we preventative the leakages? Are we disbursal money on things that surprise shouldn’t be spending money on? Do you need so various people to travel if you’re going for a meeting? Deeds you need so many cars? Are the people in say publicly workplace productive? People are call working. People want to travail in government so that they can do their side venture and people see these eccentric.

So when you are done up in from the people that don’t feel you’ve credibly shown them, it is a tough telephone. So, it is marketing what government wants to do uphold a way the people tactility blow convinced that the government doesn’t have money but has try and the people will repay. It’s is important for picture government to address the reliability problem about how revenue review spent.

Sometimes, the narrative court case that government is always institute to be taking and be sociable are tired. The government balance what they give hash up what they receive; it’s organized trade-off.

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All rights mound. This material, and other digital content on this website, can not be reproduced, published, send out, rewritten or redistributed in vast or in part without antecedent express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: [email protected]