50 directors moved in massive FIRS shake up

No fewer than 50 directors of the Federal Inland Revenue Service
(FIRS) are affected in the massive shake up effected by Executive
Chairman Muhammad Mani, TheNation reports.

Mani replaced Mr. Babatunde Fowler as EC in December. He has
been consolidating his hold on the tax agency “to be able to meet
the N8.5trillion 2020 tax revenue target,” according to
officials.

There is disquiet in the agency as a result of the movements,
which also affected about 50 deputy directors, assistant directors
and over 100 other employees have either been transferred who have
their portfolios swapped.

The Executive Secretary of the Joint Tax Board (JTB), Mr. Oseni
Elamah, has been replaced with Mr. Mohammed Lawal Abubakar. Elamah,
who did not get another posting, has kicked against his removal, it
was learnt. Sources said he might head for the court

The anxiety has given way to panic in the system because more
officials might be affected in the new initiative. The FIRS has
more than 10,000 employees.

One of those affected by the shake-up is Mr. Odekunle John
Oluwatoyin, an Assistant Director and former Chief of Staff to
Fowler, who was transferred to the Enforcement Unit.

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Redeploy
A source said: “The movements were a means of shaping FIRS along
the lines Mani believes could fetch him the N8.5 trillion
target.

“While some of the directors were said to have moved up in
relevance and ranking, one senior management staff got a tacit boot
away from the agency. A new director also joined the service.

“It is also a means of placing, ‘Mani’s own ministers at
strategic positions so he could move very fast.” According to a
December 31, 2019 circular signed by the Director, Human Capital
Management Department, Victor Ekundayo five top directors along
with the executive chairman will constitute the Interim Management
Team (IMT) of the FIRS.

Members of the IMT, who are part of the shake-up include a
former Coordinating Director, Compliance Enforcement Group,
Cyriacus Ekechi, who has been appointed the Transition Lead
Compliance Support Group; the Director, Planning Reporting and
Statistics, Aishiekh Maidugu is now Special Assistant, Special
Duties to the Executive Chairman; and the Director, Debt
Management, Femi Oluwaniyi, who is now Transition Lead, Domestic
Taxes Group.

Others are Kudu Mohammed, Assistant Director, Project Management
Office, (e- Services) now Special Advisor to the executive chairman
– a position occupied by the former Acting Chairman, Abiodun Aina,
before he became Coordinating Director,

Domestic Taxes Group and Dr. Abdullahi Ismaila Special Assistant
Service and Communication to the FIRS chairman.

Others are Victor Ekundayo of Human Capital Department, who
moved to the Career and Skills Development Department, Innocent
Ohagwa of the Special Tax Audit Lagos, who replaced Ekundayo;
Gbolaga Oshiga formerly of Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, who moved to
Revenue House Abuja as Director Tax Audit, Mohammed L. Abubakar,
formerly Coordinating Director, Tax Appeal Tribunal who is now
Secretary, Joint Tax Board (JTB).

“Sanni Dahiru and Assistant Director at the State Coordinator’s
Office, in Charge of Kogi, FCT and Nasarawa replaced Mohammed Lawal
Abubakar

“From Kano, Pam Davou, a Director, and State Coordinator in
charge of Kano, Katsina and Jigawa states was asked to come in as
Director, Collections at the Headquarters. While Najim Ajila, the
former Director, Audit, replaced Oluwaniyi in Debt Collection, Joel
Ogohi, a Deputy Director, replaced Oshiga as State Coordinator,
Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu States.

Others moved include: David Ogedemgbe, Head, Large Tax Audit,
who became State Coordinator, Lagos Island; Shetimma, Tamadi, a
Deputy Director from the Office of the State Coordinator, Benue
Kaduna and Niger, became State Coordinator for the states; Lucky
Obodoekeh Chukwu, a Deputy Director, Head Oil and Gas ( Downstream)
became Head, Large Tax Audit; Umar Aminu Galadanchi of Large Tax
Office, Kano, became the State Coordinator Kano, Jigawa and Katsina
states; Muazu Garba, Assistant Director, Training School, became
State Coordinator, Oil and Gas ( Downstream); Etsu Mohammmed
Madami, State Coordinator, Kebbi Sokoto and Zamfara, moved to
Borno, Plateau, Bauchi and Yobe in the same position; Peter Alfred
Assistant Director, Large Tax Office in Lagos, is now Head Special
Tax Audit Lagos; Yerima Silas, Assistant Director, Large Tax Office
Lagos ( Non-Oil) moved to Kano to head the Large Tax Audit
Office.

It was gathered that four other managers were also moved.

Others swapped were Adebayo Kayode, Director Investigations, who
was moved to Special

Investigations Department, while Idris Ahmed Ndanusa , a fresh
Director was hired and posted to Internal Affairs Department,
Chukwuemeka Obiagwu, formerly of Enforcement Department is now in
the Enforcement Unit, Office of the Executive Chairman, Ozavize
Winfrul, a Deputy Director of the Compliance unit in the Chairman’s
office, moves to Compliance Research, Simon Kato a Deputy Director
and Special Assistant, Office of the Chairman moved to Domestic
Taxes Group,

An Assistant Director and former Chief of Staff to the former
Executive Chairman, Mr. Odekunle John Oluwatoyin, was transferred
to the Enforcement Unit in the Office of the Transition Lead
Enforcement and Compliance Group.

“Maupatin Olatundun, formerly the Special Adviser to the
Executive Chairman was moved to Tax Audit Department; Dr. Olufemi
Akinfala, formerly Head, Research and Development Department was
moved to Planning Research and Statistics Department; Oyebanji
Olufemi Matthew , Deputy Director Special Tax Audit, Lagos, became
Tax Controller Oil and Gas, Lagos, Muazu Alhaji Garba, an Assistant
Director, Tax Controller Oil and Gas (Downstream) was moved to Tax
Investigation Department.

“ Orebanjo Adebola, an Assistant Director at Relationship
Management Unit, Lagos was moved to Large Tax Office, Non-Oil, and
Aniko Emmanuel was also moved to Large Tax Oil and Gas.

“Two other Assistant Directors: Oluwa-Ameenat Badmus and Oluola
Olamide Adedayo were moved from Relationship Management Unit to
State Coordinator’s office, while most staff of the Relationship
Management Unit—said to be a creation of Tunde Fowler, were also
transferred.

A source said Elamah has filed a pre-action notice against his
removal.

The source said more transfers and movements will come as Mani
strengthens his hold on the FIRS.

He added: “The redeployments are not punitive. These transfers
are normal. When Fowler also came, he moved top staff on a
continuous basis until he was comfortable to do the job.

“In the FIRS, anyone who has spent four years in an office could
be transferred. It’s in black and white. And the members of staff
know about this policy. The chairman is eager for results. And as
you can see, his focus is tax, tax, tax and anything that could
assist him to realize the 2020 target.”

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