…winner receives N5m cash award
By Matthew Denis
The Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) on Saturday held the third edition of its quiz competition for secondary schools in the state at Whitefield Hotel, Ilorin, Kwara State.
About 128 schools across the state participated in the competition in which Shepherd Senior Secondary School, Lafiagi emerged winner.
The school won the competition in the final round with 43 points beating five other finalists schools.
The school was awarded a cheque of N5 million as approved by the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.
This is the first time a private school will emerge champion of the contest since the conception of the tax club by KWIRS in 2016.
Recall that Government Secondary School, Omu Aran won the competition in 2016 while Government Girls’ Day Secondary School, Oko- Erin emerged winner in the 2017 edition.
In this year’s edition, Government Unity Secondary School, Kaiama came second with 39 point and got prize of N2m and Agbonna High School, Share in Ifelodun Local government was 3rd with 32 point and awarded N1million.
Muslim Model Secondary school and Government Girls Day Secondary, Oko Erin came 4th with 28 points respectively.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of KWIRS, Dr. Muritala Awodun said about 238 secondary schools registered for the 3rd edition of the Quiz competition across the state but only 128 participated.
Awodun emphasised that the essence of establishment of tax clubs in various schools is to enhance tax education among school children and catch them young at the early stage of life.
He commended the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development for collaborative effort towards success of the programme, urging the ministry to woo more schools for the competition.
In his address, the state Tax Controller of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Aliyu Mahe called on Awodun to take the idea of tax club to the national Joint Tax Board (JTB) for his colleagues in other states to apply same to expand tax education in the country.
He assured the revenue house of collaboration next year in making the programme more successful.
In her speech, the state Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Hajia Bliskis Oniyangi, said the present administration in the state is committed to development of various sectors including education.
“I want to appeal to parents and teachers to encourage their children to join the global trend of taxation to become responsible citizens in future.”
Oniyangi noted that the prizes made available by KWIRS will go a long way to lessen the burden of parents by securing the students future through scholarship.
