Fowler: Unexplained FIRS’
Fowler: Unexplained FIRS’ N40b ‘campaign fund’ sends
Presidency on edge
•More heads may roll as top FIRS staff are interrogated
•Top Southwest politician Got N3b
•Concern mounts on how to recover ‘stolen’ fund
All is not well within the Presidency (comprising of the office
of the President and Vice President) over alleged misappropriation
of N40 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) under
the immediate past Chairman, Mr Babatunde Fowler.
Fowler who was appointed to superintendent Nigeria’s apex tax
office was replaced on December 9, 2019, by a tax consultant,
Muhammad M. Nami.
PRNigeria[1] was informed by sources
knowledgeable about the development that the ‘misappropriated’
money, which was purportedly used for ‘political campaign funding’
for 2019 did not sit well with the ‘Seat of Power’ as the top
principal stakeholder has ordered investigation and prosecution of
culprits.
While Fowler is said to be outrightly caught in the web of the
said fund top officials in the Presidency are said to be angry and
unsatisfied with the explanations on how the fund was ‘shared,’ and
vowed to punish other collaborators including a powerful figure
within the same presidency.
Also connected to the N40 billion sharing bazaar was the
influential and powerful political gladiator in the Southwest who
was said to have received a ‘paltry’ N3 billion which is less than
10 percent of the ‘campaign fund.’
Already, some top management staff of FIRS have been arrested
and are being interrogated on corruption allegations by anti-graft
agencies.
“Some senior FIRS staff, about nine of them who were arrested in
connection with the money are being interrogated by an
anti-corruption agency. Some are accused of being involved in a
multi-billion naira fraudulent actions and contract awards. This is
added to the extravagant lifestyle of these stooges and aides, poor
governance structure, audit reports and general mismanagement at
FIRS,” a source within the Presidency claimed.
Recall that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr. Abba Kyari,
had on August 8, 2019 queried the former top man of the Lagos State
Internal Revenue Service (LIRS) for what the Presidency considers
as unacceptably dwindling tax revenue since 2015 when the Buhari’s
administration took the helm of governance.
Kyari ordered Fowler to explain why in 2015, FIRS set N4.7
trillion target but was only able to make N3.7 trillion in the
actual collection. In 2016, 2017 and 2018, the target collections
were N4.2 trillion, N4.8 trillion and N6.7 trillion but the actual
collections were N3.3 trillion, N4.0 trillion and N5.3 trillion,
respectively.
“…you are kindly invited to submit a comprehensive variance
analysis explaining the reasons for the variances between the
budgeted collections and actual collections for each main tax item
for each of the years 2015 to 2018,” Kyari demanded in the
query.
But Fowler in his response, defended the performance of FIRS
under him citing the fact that what was considered a fall in
revenue was not as a result of misappropriated funds but actually a
reflection of the state of the economy within the years under
review.
However, President Buhari in an apparent signal that he fully
backed his Chief of Staff’s actions against Fowler, did warn in his
October 1, 2019 Independence Anniversary Speech saying:
“Our revenue-generating and reporting agencies will come under
much greater scrutiny, going forward, as the new performance
management framework will reward exceptional revenue performance,
while severe consequences will attend failures to achieve agreed
revenue targets.”
Also, more damaging to Fowler and his benefactors who are said
to be on the brink of complete humiliation was the allegations by
the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank against his person
(Fowler) and that of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Frank had in a claim that has robustly been debunked by Osinbajo
and retracted by media houses, alleged that the travails of the
Vice president and Fowler were due to corruption and have nothing
to do with 2023 politics.
In the information that was said to have been leaked to him by a
source within the Presidency, Frank stated that Osinbajo was being
persecuted for alleged mismanagement of about N90 billion released
by FIRS to prosecute the last general elections in favour of the
All Progressives Congress (APC).
But this was quickly dismissed by FIRS, saying it did not make
N90 billion available to Vice-President for the 2019 election
campaign.
But PRNigeria[2] gathered that these
allegations which are still being investigated combined to stack up
against Fowler whose fate was officially sealed by Buhari on
December 9.
“Mind you that Fowler’s sack has not closed this chapter. Expect
more casualties as more revelations are unravelled. More heads may
roll including very top figures who are already roped in and
cornered by the scandals,” the source said.
Also, what even rattled the Presidency the more was the
desperation on the part of Fowler to retain his position at FIRS
following his letter to the Secretary to the Government of the
Federation in that regard.
Fowler begged to be retained in the letter with reference number
FIRS/EC/CWOSGF/0476/19/006, titled, ‘Re: Notification of Expiration
of Tenure as Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service’
with an accompanying document detailing his achievements in
office.
“…I wish to present myself for re-appointment for a second term.
This is consistent with provisions of the FIRS Establishment Act
2007 and would grant me the opportunity to consolidate and build on
the achievements we have recorded in the past four years.
“Please find attached the highlight of my achievements during my
first tenure in office. I would like to put on record my gratitude
to Mr. President for the opportunity to serve the nation. I am also
thankful for your support in the course of the discharge of my
duties,” part of the letter read.
But the Presidency sources said the appeal for reappointment was
immediately rejected because of the gravity of the allegations
against Fowler.
The source also disclosed that not only were the allegations
being taken seriously by the Presidency but there are “concerns on
how to recover the money”.
“Recovering the embezzled money is of top priority and believe
me those found culpable will eventually pay the price,” the source
said.