A former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, has said she, her husband, Dr. Asishana Okauru, together with other members of her family have embarked on a 14-day self-isolation, effective from March 24, 2020. She, however, said she can be reached online or by phone.
Meanwhile, her husband Dr. Okauru, who is the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) had in a statement, explained that his exposure to Senator Bala Mohammed, Governor of Bauchi State, who on Wednesday tested positive for coronavirus, at both the NGF and National Economic Council (NEC) meetings in Abuja, necessitated him and his family’s self-quarantine. Okauru, who said his wife and himself will be undergoing COVID-19 test this week, said: “All of the organisations to which my wife is affiliated have already begun ‘Work from Home’ in line with earlier government directive. ‘In fact, through DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria Ltd/GTE, and in her personal capacity, my wife was already in the forefront of raising awareness around COVID-19.”
The Governors’ Forum DG, who stated that all members of NGF secretariat that were exposed will be observing self isolation, encouraged all those who were invited to the NGF meetings for presentations to also do same. He said: “By our actions, we hope to encourage others who are exposed and not sure of their status to undergo self-isolation and make themselves available for the test, where applicable.
“At the NGF meetings held, all necessary precautions as advised by the NCDC were taken, but we cannot make any assumptions about our status. We will self-isolate and take the stringent measures possible to protect the general public.” Mrs. Ifueko Okauru, a chartered accountant, chartered tax practitioner and management consultant in her message runs an organisation which already has a “work from home” policy for this period.
In her message, she said: “We have no symptoms but we need to follow all required steps as directed by the NCDC. We have also made ourselves available to be tested. “I will, through DAGOMO Foundation Nigeria Ltd/GTE, and through other organisations that I serve, continue to raise awareness around COVID-19.
“Please feel free to check out DAGOMO public messages on all of their social media pages: Twitter: @dagomonigeria, Instagram:dagomo_foundation, Facebook: dagomonigeria and YouTube: DagomoFoundation.
“Coronavirus is real. Follow all Government directives for COVID-19. Please Stay at Home unless you provide essential services.” A graduate of the University of Lagos, Nigeria, Imperial College, London, and Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA, Mrs Okauru is the part-owner and chief executive officer of Compliance Professionals Plc, Nigeria. As executive chairman of FIRS from May 2004 to April 2012, Mrs Okauru championed tax reforms and the modernisation of the Nigerian tax administration system.
As the first female executive chairman of FIRS and the first female chairman of the Joint Tax Board of Nigeria, she spearheaded comprehensive tax reforms that led to the development of a national tax policy for the very first time and the modification of nine principal tax legislations, of which five were passed into law.
She also initiated a comprehensive overhaul of all tax statutes and development of supportive regulations; initiated re-engineering and automation of tax administration processes; recorded visible improvement in tax administration resulting in significant growth in oil and non-oil tax revenues accruing to government, and increased awareness amongst the populace of their obligations, as well as improved the motivation of staff in the discharge of their duties.
She was a part-time member of the United Nations (UN) Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters from August 2009 to July 2013, where she was chairman of the sub-committee on Capacity Building.
By PRNigeria