A retired Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Niger Delta
Affairs, Aliyu Bisala, and 81 other civil servants were recognised
for their outstanding performance by the acting Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation, Folasade Yemi-Esan, at a dinner and
award ceremony held to mark the end of the 2019 civil service week
at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja on Friday.
In a speech read by the Ag HSCF at the ceremony, she said the
recipients had demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment,
dedication, competence and efficiency in the course of their
duties, adding that the recipients were grouped into three
categories.
They are Presidential Distinguished Public Career Award, which
is to honour retired permanent secretaries; Presidential Merit
Award, which is to recognise directorate cadre officers; and Head
of Service Commendation Letter for intermediate cadre officers.
Apart from Bisala, 31 other civil servants were rewarded in the
Presidential Merit Award category, while 47 were awarded medals in
the Head of Service Commendation category. Three other civil
servants were also rewarded for winning an essay competition.
Yemi-Esan explained that the recognition was in line with
President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s vision and policy of
recognising hard work and integrity as well as improving service
welfare.
She said, “It is expected that this will spur other officers to
exhibit similar virtues of the recipients and be more dedicated.
Therefore, I wish to extend the appreciation of the entire civil
service to Mr. President for being so gracious in hosting this
event.”
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Tunde Fowler FIRS
Tenure Elongation: FIRS Boss, Fowler Dragged to
Court
…To return all salaries, earnings during ‘illegal’ stay
in office
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the appearance
of the Chairman Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde
Fowler to appear before it on October 7, 2019 and show cause why he
should not be sacked for overstaying his tenure which expired on
August 18, 2019.
The presiding judge of the High Court, Justice Lewis Allagoa
after hearing a plaintiff’s counsel on September 23, 2019, also
ordered that the defendant should be served in Abuja and filed
their defence within five days.
In court documents obtained by PRNigeria[1] with Suit No
FHC/KN/CS/141/2019, the FIRS Boss was dragged to Court over his
continued stay in office after the expiration of tenure.
The Plaintiff, Mr. Stanley Okwara, in a suit filed on September
18, 2019 and obtained on Saturday, also joined the Attorney General
of the Federation as the second defendant.
In the originating summon, the two defendants were given 30 days
to explain why Fowler who was appointed on the 20th August, 2015,
has not ceased to hold office as the Chairman of FIRS after the
20th August, 2019 in accordance with the “decision of the Supreme
Court…and having regard to the combined provisions of Sections 3(2)
(a), Section 4(a) and Section 11 (a)” of the agency.
The Plaintiffs also sought to know whether the continuous stay
of Fowler in the office “is not illegal in view of the decision of
the Supreme Court in Ogbuinyinya & Ors. vs. Obi Okudo &
Ors. (1979) All N.L.R. 105 and having regard to the combined
provisions of Sections of the FIRS [Establishment] Act, 2007.
In the same vein, Okwara in the suit filed through Johnmary C.
Jideobi & Co, sought other reliefs including: “A declaration
that the 1st Defendant has ceased to hold office as the Chairman of
the Federal Inland Revenue Service after the 20th of August, 2019”;
and that his continuous stay in the office is illegal.
He further sought “an order barring the 1st Defendant from
further holding himself out as, laying claim to or exercising the
powers and functions of, the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland
Revenue Service unless he is re-appointed by the President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“An order directing the 1st Defendant to return forthwith to the
Treasury Single Account of the Federation all the salaries,
emoluments and such other kindred monetary benefits he has been
drawing on the purse of the Federal Inland Revenue Service and file
an affidavit of compliance within 14 days after the delivery of
judgment in this suit.”
The Plaintiff also asked that Fowler be caused ordered to obey
any other decision that the Court may deem fit to make in the
entire circumstances of the case.