By Abdul Alli
The Chairman of FIRS Joint Union Council of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Okere Samson and his executives are working against the newly appointed Chairman of FIRS, Muhammad Nami because he was not picked within the Service, our investigation has revealed.
For some days now, the union has kicked against the handing over of the affairs of FIRS to the Coordinating Director Domestic Taxes Group, Abiodun Aina and misleading the public that Aina does not have the qualification to work at FIRS
Facts have however emerged that two Directors who are also interested in the plum job of Executive Chairman were the ones that instigated the union against Aina because they are working on the theory that Muhammad may not be cleared on time or rejected by the Senate during screening.
They do not see Aina as one of their own because he didn’t start his career with FIRS.
Credible sources within FIRS told our reporter that the Directors had thought that President Muhammadu Buhari would appoint either of them, but they were shocked that the President brought someone from outside the Service. They are therefore trying to position themselves for the job incase Muhammad is not cleared by the Senate or not cleared on time.
The only obstacle for either of them to be the Acting Chairman is the current Coordinating Director Domestic Taxes Group, Abiodun Aina, hence the blackmail and campaign of calumny by the union who also sees Aina as an “outsider” in FIRS
Many Nigerians have been wondering how the union would say Aina who is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, Associate member Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and Fellow, Chartered Taxation Institute and who holds a Masters Degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos is not qualified to be employed at FIRS.
Nigerians have also been asking why the Union did not find any fault in Aina since 2017 that he had been the Coordinating Director until Babatunde Fowler handed over to him on the 9th of December, 2019 in accordance with the directive of the Presidency.
It has also been established that Aina was the brain behind some reforms aimed at blocking leakages when Babatunde Fowler was the Executive Chairman ,therefore, few of the staff are aggrieved that he has blocked their means of making extra money outside their legitimate income and allowances.
“Aina is the engine room of FIRS. He was the brain behind some tax policies of FIRS that made the earnings of the Service to increase, therefore, some staff are not happy that he has blocked the avenues they were using to rip off the country of its revenue” said a credible source within FIRS.