The immediate past Chairman of
the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler, said he did nothing
wrong in handing over the management of the tax revenue agency to the
Coordinating Director, Domestic Taxes Group, Abiodun Aina.
Mr Fowler spoke in response to an enquiry on Wednesday, following threats by some workers of the
tax agency.
He said he followed due process
in taking the decision after he was relieved of his position on Monday.
“All I will say is that the due
process was followed in appointing him (Aina) as a Coordinating Director,” the
former FIRS boss said on Wednesday.
Following Monday’s appointment of
Muhammad Nami as the new Executive Chairman of FIRS, the presidency directed
the mantle of leadership to be handed over to the “most senior Director in the
service” until Mr Nami is confirmed by the Senate.
In compliance of the presidential
directive, Mr Fowler on Monday evening handed over to Mr Aina after thanking
President Muhammadu Buhari for the privilege he gave him to serve in that
capacity.
However, barely 24 hours after
the handing over ceremony, a group which goes by the name, Joint Union Council,
FIRS Unit, on Tuesday accused Mr Aina of not possessing the basic qualification
to occupy the office.
The group also accused Mr Fowler
of violating the presidential directive to hand over power to the most senior
director of FIRS pending the confirmation of the new chairman’s appointment by
the National Assembly and assumption of office.
In a petition signed by the
chairman of the JUC, Okere Samson; the vice-chairman, Idris Abdulrahaman;
Secretary, Lekwot Thomas, and 14 other members, the group highlighted why Mr
Aina’s appointment should not stand.
The group faulted Mr Aina’s
selection on the grounds that it was not in accordance with the presidential
directive that the seniority list in the FIRS hierarchy should be followed.
Also, the group gave a 72 hours
ultimatum that if by the close of work on Friday, December 13, 2019, no action
is taken to meet their demand by reversing Mr Aina’s selection, they will no
longer guarantee further industrial harmony in the system.
In the petition, the group said
their grouse is that running the affairs of the FIRS cannot be handed over to a
director who is neither competent nor qualified to occupy the position.
Copies of the petition were sent
to the supervising Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, President
of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and his counterpart in
the Nigeria Civil Service Union.
The petition read: “Please refer
to the Presidential Directive on the appointment of the new FIRS Chairman,
wherein there was a presidential directive for hand over to the most senior
Director in the service.
“The attention of the Joint Union
Council of FIRS has been drawn to the handover of the Chairmanship of FIRS on
acting capacity to Mr. Biodun Aina on Monday, 9th December 2019. This was a
clear departure from the Presidential Directive on the handing over, as he is
not the most senior Director.
“Mr. Abiodun Aina in the first
instance does not have the basic qualification/requirement (HND or BSc) to be
employed into the service.
“Secondly, his appointment to the
position of Coordinating Director was against the provision of section 2.19 of
FIRS Human Resources Policies and Processes.”
The group quoted the provision on
page 24 to read: “Appointment to the post of Coordinating Director shall be
made by the Board (of FIRS) on the recommendation of the Executive Chairman.
The appointment shall be open to all confirmed Directors of the Service and it
shall be competitive based on experience, competence and seniority.”
The group said in its petition
that Mr Aina was never a director in the service, rather a Senior Special
Assistant to the immediate past Chairman of the FIRS.
When PremiumTimes contacted the
immediate past Chairman of FIRS, Tunde Fowler, on Wednesday for his reaction to
the allegation, he responded with a short text message.
“Good morning I have left the
system. But all I will say is that the due process was followed in appointing
him (Aina) as a Coordinating Director. To check his qualifications, please
google it. It’s in the public domain. Thank you and God bless,” Mr Fowler wrote
in the text message
Also, the spokesperson of the
FIRS, Wahab Gbadamosi, asked for some time to make contacts with the relevant
parties for details on the issue before sending his response.
However, documents from the
Federal Ministry of Finance seen by our reporter on Wednesday showed that the
former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, appointed Mr Aina as the Coordinating
Director of FIRS on May 15, 2017, vide a formal letter No.
HMF/FMF/FIRS/CD/1/2017.
In the letter, the former
minister, who exercised the powers of the Board of FIRS through her office,
explained that Mr Aina’s appointment was “in accordance with the powers
delegated to the Honourable Minister of Finance, under Section 60 of the FIRS
Establishment Act 2017.”
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