The Executive Chairman of the Ekiti State Internal Revenue Service (EKIRS), Mr. Olaniran Olatona, is set to be inducted into the Ekiti State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Hall of Fame on November 20, 2026, in recognition of his contributions to the state and the Union.
The Ekiti State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, announced the planned induction on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during the October Congress of the Union held at the Press Centre in Ado-Ekiti, where Olatona called on journalists to expose misconduct among revenue service staff and identify high-net-worth individuals who should pay appropriate taxes.
Babatuyi described the recognition as a novel and unprecedented initiative, noting that the EKIRS chairman would be honoured during the Union’s Press Week activities.
Speaking at the event, Olatona urged journalists to assist the Service in identifying inefficiencies and misconduct among its personnel to strengthen accountability, transparency and fairness in tax administration across the state.
He also called on media practitioners to draw the attention of EKIRS to wealthy individuals with the capacity to pay higher taxes, explaining that improved compliance among high-income earners would reduce the tax burden on low-income earners and emerging businesses.
The EKIRS chairman attributed the sustained growth in the state’s revenue to the deployment of data intelligence to identify individuals and businesses liable to pay higher taxes, as well as expand the number of eligible taxpayers within the tax net. Reaffirming the legality of the taxes collected by the Service, Olatona assured residents that EKIRS would continue to operate within the provisions of the law while remaining responsive to taxpayers’ concerns and expectations.
He, however, lamented the negative perception of the Service among some taxpayers, attributing the situation partly to inadequate public understanding of the differences between federal, state and local revenue authorities and the taxes and levies each is legally empowered to collect.
He appealed to journalists to help bridge the knowledge gap through public education and enlightenment on taxation, assuring them that EKIRS would provide relevant information and training to promote accurate and informed reporting.
Olatona also challenged journalists to investigate complaints by taxpayers, particularly business owners, alleging that EKIRS had sealed their business premises, insisting that the Service had moved away from such enforcement practices.
On concerns about multiple taxation, he said the Service had continued to harmonise tax collection processes, allowing taxpayers to receive a single invoice or receipt covering different tax obligations.
In his remarks, a former NUJ Chairman in Ekiti State and immediate past Technical Adviser on Media to the Governor, Akogun Tai Oguntayo, called for improved education and enlightenment of journalists on taxation to enhance the quality and accuracy of media reports.
Oguntayo also commended Babatuyi and his executive team for creating a platform for constructive engagement between journalists and the revenue authority on taxation and related issues.
