The Federal Inland Revenue
Service (FIRS) has described the remarks by Maimuna Abubakar, board chairman of
the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), as a disservice to the country.
Abubakar, in tweets on Sunday,
alleged that the FIRS stole the agency’s mandate, stamps and ideas.
The FIRS, in a recently released
circular, said it now has a portal for automated stamp duty collection where
all stamp duty paying citizens, government agencies, institutions, and private
organisations should log into and pay stamp duties.
But NIPOST opposed the FIRS,
saying only the postal agency is empowered to print, mint, produce, retail, and
provide adhesive postage stamps.
Reacting to Abubakar’s outburst
in a statement on Tuesday, Abdullahi Ahmad, FIRS director of communication and
liaison, said the FIRS is not violating any law by collecting stamp duty.
He said there is a difference
between stamp duty and postage stamp, adding that, “FIRS is the sole agency of
got charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting
for all tax types including Stamp Duties”.
“We appreciate the general public
for demonstrating deep knowledge of the difference between Stamp Duty and
Postage Stamp. It is unfortunate that Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar, Chairperson of the
NIPOST Board is yet to understand this,” the statement read.
“Our attention was drawn to the
tweet by Mrs. Abubakar. Her indecorous tweet would not have deserved any
response but for the sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not
sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead the public.
“To be sure, NIPOST is a
government parastatal established by Decree 41 of 1992 with the function to
develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficiently co-ordinated postal
services at reasonable rates.
“This function is clearly
contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in
Nigeria. On the other hand, the FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the
responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types
including Stamp Duties.”
Our attention was drawn to the tweet by Mrs. Abubakar. Her indecorous tweet would not have deserved any response but for the sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead the public.— FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020
This function is clearly contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in Nigeria.— FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020
On the other hand, the FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of *assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties*
Ahmad also described as shocking the claims by the NIPOST
board chair.
He asked the public to disregard Abubakar’s statement
because it is false.
“It is therefore shocking to us that such a privileged young
lady who happened to be appointed to high office would throw all caution to the
air to cast aspersions on reputable public institutions like the National
Assembly and FIRS, which she accused of stealing NIPOST idea,” he said.
“This, to say the least, is a preposterous claim and great
disservice to the government and people of Nigeria. We wish to state
categorically that, as an agency which operates within the ambit of the law.
“The FIRS is determined to not only ensure that all monies
collected by NIPOST into its illegally operated Stamp Duties Account are fully
remitted into the Federation Account but also make sure that any kobo not
accounted for in that account is legally recovered in line with the charge of
President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial
committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.
“In addition, anyone found culpable of misappropriating the
funds in the said illegal NIPOST Stamp Duties Account would be made to face the
law as provisioned by the country’s statute books.
“The public is hereby reminded that we at the FIRS are
resolute in our resolve to safeguard national inter
ests and not any personal ego or interest as NIPOST officials appear to carry on lately.We therefore call on right-thinking Nigerians to disregard that ill-advised tweet by Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar and allied misinformation being disseminated by NIPOST in relation to Stamp Duties collection, which by law is the responsibility of the FIRS.— FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020
This, to say the least, is a preposterous claim and great disservice to the government and people of Nigeria.— FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020
We wish to state categorically that, as an agency which operates within the ambit of the law...
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayin line with the charge of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.— FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020
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