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LIRS Partners Deloitte to Boost Transparency in Tax Administration With Whistle-Blower Initiative
The Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) has said its Whistle-Blower Initiative will deepen transparency, and accountability and uphold a high standard in the administration of the tax system in the state.
L-R: Executive Chairman, Lagos Internal Revenue Service, LIRS; Mr Ayodele Subair, Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo, Partner, Deloitte and Touche; Dr Jania Okwechime, Partner, Deloitte and Touche, Mr Beulah Adeoye, and Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi during the launch of Lagos State Whistle-Blower Initiative held in Lagos on Friday
Ayodele Subair, Executive Chairman of the LIRS, at the official launching of the initiative in Lagos on Friday, said the platform was introduced to encourage the reporting of illegal actions or financial crimes, through the appropriate channel, with a view to correcting the violations and optimally boost the tax administration in the state.
He said the scheme, an initiative of the state government, will be driven by Delloite Anonymous and the Confidential Whistle-Blowing facility, a platform run by a globally recognised accounting and audit firm, Delloite Nigeria.
He added that the whistle-blowing facility will promote the reporting of acts of commission or omission that borders on unethical conduct of the LIRS employees, management and other stakeholders through the designated channels to the authorities.
“The facility is designed to ensure that concerns about wrongdoings or malpractice observed in the LIRS administrative and operational activities can be raised by any stakeholder without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination, disadvantage or dismissal.
“This facility does not only provide the avenue to report but ensures the credibility of reports through investigation, feedback to the whistle-blower and ensures protection for such whistle-blower from possible reprisals or victimisation for all disclosures made in good faith.”
“The whistle-blowing initiative is a two-way affair; even though it is aimed at exposing the LIRS staff involved with misconduct, employees of entities who want to report employers who circumvent tax laws or even members of the public who wants to raise the alarm on persons or entities who willfully commit financial crimes leading to revenue loss for the state can make use of the whistle-blowing platform,” he said.
Subair said Deloitte’s engagement as an independent assessor was to ensure an objective and unbiased review of issues raised.
Also speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Finance Dr Rabiu Onaolapo Olowo said the Whistle-Blower Initiative of the LIRS is a pilot scheme of the Lagos State Speak-Up programme aimed at encouraging feedback mechanism from the general public, boosting their confidence and trust in the operational activities of government.
Dr Olowo said it is logical to choose the LIRS as the pilot scheme for the initiative because it is responsible for more than half of the revenue generated by the state and due to its multifaceted interactions with the members of the public, the Lagos government could use the channel to boost its message of openness and transparency.
He said: “In our pursuit to make transparency, accountability and openness count in governance in the last three and half years, this is one step to help us to wrap up some of the things we have been doing to take government down to the people.
“We have to appreciate Governor Babajide Sanwoolu for approving this Speak-Up initiative. It will further help us to effectively discharge the policy thrust of this government and we believe it will promote and engender trust and citizen engagement.
“The reason we have chosen the LIRS as the pilot MDA for this scheme is quite obvious because it is the major revenue-generating agency for the state. Today, LIRS accounts for almost 75 per cent of Lagos’s revenue and it engages with the public at multi-faceted levels.
“Thousands of people across the world see infractions every day but they decided to remain silent because they feel there is nothing they can do to change the situation, but today, we are launching a channel that will encourage and remind people of their civic responsibilities to speak up when they observe unethical behaviour, especially in the process of conducting their businesses with the government.”
Joining the conversation, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Samuel Egube, believes citizen participation in governance invariably stimulates public trust which consequently enables the government to make the right investment decision on behalf of the people.
He stated that the channel will further open the Lagos State government to scrutiny and the openness and transparency that the initiative generates will lead to more development.
“We believe this channel will enable citizen participation in governance which will surely stimulate the trust of the people in what we do with their investment. You cannot talk about development in South Korea, Singapore or Dubai in the United Arab Emirates without working out how that is connected to the United Nations Citizen Participation Index which states the line of relationship between the citizens and government and this is what this channel has addressed.
“Since we have launched the 30-year development plan this is another attempt at making the people of Lagos State work together with the government to make the plan works,” he said.
Beulah Adeoye, Partner, Deloitte Nigeria, said the whistle-blowing service provides multilingual, multiple reporting channels including a 24-Hour toll-free hotline (0800TIPOFFS and 0800 847 6337).
He said users can also use Delloite’s web portal (https://tip-offs.deloitte.com.ng); Email (tip-offs@deloitte.com.ng) or download the app (Deloitte Tip-offs, and Anonymous App) on the mobile app store.
Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, Telecom Satellites Limited (TStv), and three co‑defendants appeared before the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday on an amended twelve‑count indictment brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The charges allege money laundering, tax evasion, and investment fraud involving approximately ₦1 billion and $1.3 million.
Bright Echefu, chief executive officer, TStv
In addition to Echefu, the defendants are TStv Executive Director, Felix Igboanuga, Telecom Satellites Limited itself, and Briechberg Investment Ltd.
According to the April 5, 2025, amended charge sheet the EFCC accuses the quartet of defrauding Mr. Tanimu Turaki, Managing Director of Kalsiyam Global and former Minister of Special Duties, alongside BYI General Limited, out of a combined investment of ₦1 billion and $1.3 million. The commission has also included a ₦66 million alleged tax default.
The revised indictment lists:
Count 2: ₦33,909,542.47 in unremitted Company Income Tax
Count 3: ₦13,519,382.00 in unremitted VAT
Count 4: ₦19,488,860.00 in unremitted PAYE
Counts 5–12: Various fraud‑related transactions, including ₦380 million from Kalsiyam Farm, ₦400 million from BYI General Ltd and $1.35 million in loans secured under false pretences.
All defendants pleaded not guilty once again. At the hearing before Justice Mohammed Umar, Echefu’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate Eyitayo Fatogun, informed the court of ongoing settlement discussions with the complainants.
“There are moves to settle this matter and there was a meeting on Saturday between myself and the Nominal Complainant as it is about investment,” Fatogun stated.
“The Defendants have paid some money and I was thinking that the matter be adjourned for report of settlement.”
EFCC counsel A.S. Tomwell confirmed receipt of those payments but emphasized the necessity of entering a plea before considering any adjournment. The court thus ordered the formal reading of the charges and adjourned the trial to October 15, 2025.
The government of Ghana has ordered MultiChoice Ghana to reduce DSTV subscription costs by 30%, noting the significant appreciation of local currency and growing dissatisfaction with current rates.
This comes as Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
According to Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
MultiChoice, which operates across Africa, continues to lose revenue and subscribers.
Ghana’s minister of communication, digital technology, and innovation, Samuel Nartey George, made the call last week during a meeting with a DSTV team led by Dr. Keabetswe Modimoeng, group executive for regulatory and corporate affairs.
According to a ministry statement, George said the government’s responsibility is to respond to Ghanaians’ concerns over high DSTV pricing and outdated content offers.
The Minister pointed out that despite a 30% increase in the cedi’s value over the past five months; DSTV prices have not reflected the positive economic trend.
The statement went on to say the minister is therefore calling for a 30% price reduction to match the cedi’s appreciation and to pass on economic benefits to consumers.
According to the statement, while MultiChoice has implemented promotional packages, people prefer a direct price reduction over temporary discounts.
George said feedback from public engagements revealed that many users are dissatisfied with DSTV’s content, describing it as outdated save for Premier League football. They also believe that the current cost is not justified.
”To address the concerns, he said MultiChoice Ghana has until July 21 to formally respond to the government’s request. The Minister expects a concrete proposal by this date, allowing time for further engagement before the end of July,” the statement said.
In response, Dr. Modimoeng acknowledged the government’s concerns and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to dialogue.
The MultiChoice team reacted positively to the minister’s request and committed to provide input by July 21st. They emphasised the need of balancing public interest and business sustainability.
This is the continent’s latest pricing conundrum for the pan-African pay-TV business, following fee disputes with Nigerian and Malawian authorities.
In Ghana, the demand for price cuts comes as MultiChoice is under pressure, having lost revenue and subscribers in the financial year that ended March 31, 2025. Last month, the company announced its financial year-end results.
In a statement to shareholders last month on the Stock Exchange News Service, the company said the past two financial years have been a period of significant financial disruption for economies, corporates and consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa due to challenging macro-economic factors.
Combined with the impact of structural industry changes in video entertainment, such as the rise of piracy, streaming services and social media, this has materially affected the overall performance of the MultiChoice Group, it noted.
Over this period, MultiChoice said the group lost 2.8 million active linear subscribers and had to absorb a R10.2 billion negative impact on its top line due to local currency depreciation against the US dollar.
For the year, the company reveals that linear subscribers were down 1.2 million, or 8% year-on-year, to 14.5 million active subscribers, with the loss evenly split between South African (600 000) and rest of Africa (600 000).
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has fined MultiChoice Nigeria ₦766,242,500 for breaching the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA).
NDPC is a public institution that processes data in furtherance of its mandate as Nigeria’s data protection authority and relies on recognised lawful bases for data processing, such as consent, legal obligation, and contract.
The fine was contained in a statement signed by Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, head Legal, Enforcement & Regulations, NDPC.
According to him, the investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was triggered by suspected breach of privacy rights of Multichoice subscribers and illegal cross-border transfer of personal data of Nigerians.
“The NDPC found, among others, that Multichoice violated the data privacy rights of subscribers and their friends who are not necessarily subscribers.
The Commission also found that Multichoice carries out illegal cross-border transfer of personal data relating to data subjects in Nigeria.
The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.
This is a grave affront to fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In line with its standard remediation procedure, the Commission directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures.
However, the Commission found the measures undertaken by Multichoice in this regard unsatisfactory.
For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay ₦766,242,500 for violating the Nigerian Data Protection Act.
“Nigeria is entitled to protect her citizens and data sovereignty under both international and extant municipal laws, as these have far-reaching implication for rule of law, national security, and economic growth.” the statement said.
Babatunde also revealed that, Vincent Olatunji, national Commissioner, NDPC, has directed that all outlets through which Multichoice is collecting personal data of Nigerian citizens should be investigated for non-compliance.
He added that any outlet that processes personal data in violation of the NDP Act is liable to penalty under the Act.
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