The Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (airs) has debunked Peter Obi’s (the former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election) claim that SABMiller is the highest taxpayer in the state as false, misleading, and not based on accurate data.
Mr Peter Obi recently made the claim at a political rally in Onitsha while canvassing for votes for his party’s candidate. Obi while speaking asserted that SABMiller which he always claimed to have been facilitated to the state, is the highest taxpayer in Anambra, with applause from his unsuspecting crowd of supporters, despite the misinformation.
According to Dr. Greg Ezeilo, Chairman of AIRS, SABMiller comes in a distant sixth position. First Bank is at the top of the list, followed by Zenith Bank, United Bank for Africa, Access Bank, and Fidelity in fifth position.
The AIRS boss pointed out that SABMiller made a gross payment of N656.5 million from 2023 to 2024, an average of N28 million and N26.62 million per month, respectively, in those years.
The AIRS boss averred that it is right to provide accurate information to avoid a situation where the public is misled by Falsehood without regard to facts. “It is for this reason that we have come up with accurate data on the state’s internally generated revenue, so that citizens can be abreast of development in Anambra,” the AIRS stated.
He affirmed that while the state has made monumental strides in increasing the internally generated revenue from its low ebb of between N1.5 billion and N2 billion per month, and even much lower in previous years, the tax collection has consistently risen to N4 billion per month, with an all-time high of N10.5 billion in May 2025 under Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo.
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo’s government’s infrastructure revolution and transformation of Anambra have been attributed to his prudent application of resources. During a recent visit to the state, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended Governor Soludo’s monumental achievements and concluded that Anambra is on the rise.
Overwhelmed by Governor Soludo’s remarkable achievements in Anambra during the commissioning of some monumental projects said, “Anambra is rising and we are ready to work with you.”
Governor Soludo’s transformation of vital sectors of the state’s economy is evident in the area of education, health, where he was recognised as the most performing governor in primary healthcare in the Southeast region and overall, nationally, transportation, innovation, human capital development, security, agriculture, among others.
Recently, the governor and members of the Anambra State Executive Council (ANSEC) awarded a fourth dual carriageway, namely, the Ekwulobia to Nnobi Dualisation Road Project. This completes linking the four major Anambra cities by dual carriageways, thereby completing the beltway to permit easy traffic flow around the state.
ANSEC also reviewed and approved the progress report for the 2024 Business Enabling Reforms Action Plan (BERAP). As part of the State Action on Business Enabling Reform (SABER) Programme, the state commits each year to implementing reforms to enhance the ease of doing business and the state’s economy.