From Uchenna Ezeadigwe
Awka
Serious protest is brewing in Anambra State as the incumbent governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, is set to be sworn in for a second term in office on March 17, 2026.
Some affected staff of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service (AIRS), who spoke on the condition of anonymity, expressed displeasure over what they described as an unjust sack by the state government.
Recall that the AIRS management, in an internal memo dated February 18, 2026, from the Administration Department and signed by Nwalusi Ifeanyi, Admin/HR for the Chairman/Chief Executive, ordered the retrenchment of Community Revenue Officers and other staff of the agency for their inability to pass the above-mentioned examination.
The angry workers disclosed that the protest is scheduled to take place at the popular Aroma Junction near Ekwueme Square in Awka, where Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo is billed to be sworn in for a second term in office.
They argued that the retrenchment order against them because they were unable to pass a Strategic Tax Collection Examination organised by the state government in conjunction with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) was not in line with the new tax law, which provides for Revenue Houses across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT to operate autonomously, including the training and retraining of their staff without external interference.
The memo read in part:
“As part of AIRS’s ongoing restructuring and based on the PwC-administered CBT results, I am directed to convey approval for the retrenchment of Community Revenue Officers on the attached list, having not met the required pass mark.
Action Required: Hand over all AIRS tools, ID cards, and materials in your possession to the Administration/HE Department.
Deadline: Complete the handover on or before Tuesday, February 19, 2026. The layoff takes immediate effect.
Compliance: Failure to comply will attract sanctions, including possible legal action.”
However, at a press conference held in Awka on Friday, the workers appealed to Governor Soludo to urgently intervene to save them from what they described as impending hardship.
According to them, by virtue of the new tax law, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has no right whatsoever to interfere in the affairs of AIRS.
“As far as we are concerned, the retrenchment exercise is a misuse of governance. What PwC did in the name of a tax collection examination is nothing but professional misconduct. If the retrenchment order eventually becomes a reality, it means that what we have laboured for at AIRS in the past seven years has been in vain,” they said.
“This is the first time many of us are sitting for such an examination. A first attempt should not be used to judge our capacity in the taxation sector. We are begging our workable governor to return us to our various departments so that we can resume our duties. Sacking us is not a good option. What we need is training and retraining.”
“The proposed peaceful protest is a measure to call the attention of the governor to our devastating situation as bona fide citizens of Anambra State. We are also appealing to the AIRS management to retract the retrenchment memo for the sake of the existing relationship among the affected workers.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Commissioner for Finance in Anambra State proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.
