The Federal Capital Territory Internal Revenue Service, FCT-IRS, has defended its handling of staff welfare and promotion matters, insisting that ongoing reforms under the current leadership are aimed at improving working conditions and career progression within the agency.
This comes amid a protest by a group of staff over issues relating to promotion and welfare, which the agency described as unnecessary given steps already taken to address their concerns.
The Acting Executive Chairman of the FCT-IRS, Dr. Michael Ango, said the management remains committed to staff development and welfare, noting that workers continue to play a central role in the organisation’s performance.
The service, in a statement on Tuesday, stated that it had already commenced formal processes after identifying a backlog of eligible staff upon assumption of office. It explained that promotion examinations were conducted in December 2025, with results already forwarded for approval.
“Management remains committed to ensuring that all processes are concluded in a fair, transparent, and timely manner,” the statement said, adding that once approvals are obtained, successful staff will assume new ranks effective from their date of eligibility.
The FCT-IRS also addressed concerns over salary review, stating that while it acknowledges current economic pressures, adjustments to salaries must pass through external approval processes involving the Minister and the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
It disclosed that steps toward a review had already been initiated, while also highlighting past interventions such as the payment of outstanding allowances dating back to 2021 and the introduction of new welfare allowances for staff.
On the engagement of 12 seconded staff from the Nigeria Revenue Service, the agency said the arrangement was part of inter-agency cooperation aimed at strengthening capacity and improving revenue generation.
It maintained that the secondees were brought in to provide technical support and would return to their parent agency once internal capacity is strengthened under the expanded structure.
It insists that, “This is a practice that is prevalent in all agencies of Government and was done in good faith to support existing staff with a view to shore up our revenue collection and it has indeed added value to
our operations. The staff will return to their parent agency once the FCT-IRS has sufficient staff to fill in positions in the expanded organizational structure introduced by this administration.”
The agency further highlighted improvements in working conditions, including the procurement of office spaces, distribution of 240 laptops to staff over the past two years, and the acquisition of two 30-seater buses to ease transportation challenges.
On capacity building, the FCT-IRS said training had been significantly expanded, with staff participating in 105 training programmes since August 2024, including local and international sessions. It added that every staff member had benefited from at least one form of training within the year, alongside support for professional certification subscriptions.
The agency also noted that it facilitated the establishment of a staff union to encourage structured engagement, adding that the recognized union had distanced itself from the ongoing protest and continues to engage management on staff concerns.
While describing the protest as unnecessary, the FCT-IRS said it remains open to dialogue through formal channels, stressing that it is committed to resolving all issues in a “collaborative and sustainable manner.”
