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By Henry Uche
Corporate leaders in Nigeria have been urged to emulate the exemplary leadership values demonstrated by the late former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Chief David Ajibola Olorunleke, who was recently laid to rest.
The call was made by the Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) and other stakeholders who insisted that public administrators and corporate managers must remember that the legacies they leave behind far outweigh any personal gains.
Chief Olorunleke was the founder and first President/Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), a position he held from 1985 to 1995. He also served as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance and as a board member of the FIRS.
The Executive Chairman of LIRS, Mr Ayodele Subair, and other speakers made the appeal during a Service of Songs held in his honour at All Souls Church, Lekki, Lagos State.
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“He was a shining example of the profession, a pioneer, one of the people who started all that we are doing today. They set great standards that are very difficult to match, but we know that his legacy will live forever,” Subair said, adding, “We pray for all members of the family; the Good Lord will continue to watch over them, and may Papa’s gentle soul rest in perfect peace.”
The President and Chairman of Council of CITN, Mr Innocent Ohagwa, eulogised the institute’s founding member number 001 and urged tax professionals and leaders across the board to uphold the virtues of integrity, humility and empathy.
“CITN will miss him. From member number 001 till date, we have over 33,000 members. The seed he sowed since 1982 has matured. He deserves this honour. Shortly before his demise, he engaged us extensively when we visited him. He was a great man and we have learned a lot from him,” Ohagwa said.
Family, friends, relatives, colleagues, mentees and associates took turns to pay glowing tributes to the man they described as a selfless leader and responsible father who displayed godliness, honesty, probity, transparency and accountability throughout his distinguished career.
