*Muhammad Nami, immediate past Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, reacts to a recent news report alleging his last-minute N11 billion approvals for payments to contractors, stating ‘after my exit as FIRS Executive Chairman, I made no such approvals as claimed in the report’

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Muhammad Nami, a former Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has reacted to a news report accusing him of 鈥渟uspiciously approving N11 billion鈥� payments from taxpayers’ money to several contractors and consultants after he was removed from office.

Nami pointedly denied the report in a series of tweets he shared via his X (formerly Twitter) account Thursday, September 28, 2023.

The erstwhile Chairman of FIRS, in his tweet titled, 鈥淢y rejoinder to the Cable Story: Ex-FIRS Boss Nami Approved N11bn 鈥楽uspicious鈥� Payments After His Exit,鈥� denied that he did not make such approvals as claimed in the report.

He lamented that the story was sensationally written with 鈥渕ischief鈥� and that the report took the ordinary events of his work out of context with the intent to tarnish his image.

He stated in his reaction: “I want to categorically state that after my exit as FIRS Executive Chairman, I made no such approvals as claimed in the report.鈥�

Recall that The Cable Thursday, had reported that Nami approved N11 billion suspicious payments to several contractors and consultants after his exit from office as FIRS Executive Chairman.

The report purported the former FIRS Chief approved N5,628,496,823.04, $863,293.00 and 拢8,780 for express payments to 196 beneficiaries 鈥� all in one day.

It further stated that Nami approved the payment of N1,409,950,625.00 to 807 nominees for a 鈥楤usiness Case for Strategic Leadership鈥� retreat, which is billed to take place in November, and that N250,325,000 was greenlit for FIRS Data Mining Management and Analytics in Taxation Course.

According to the report, Nami further approved N221,311,840.00 to be paid to Odey Jacob and 611 others for 鈥淪kill Development and Management Improvement Workshop Training鈥�.

Similarly, the report said N42,398,000.00 was earmarked as payment to Mawo Dav Printing Nigeria Limited for the 鈥減roduction of letterhead papers & call cards鈥� while another N36,513,718.75 was approved for Gebos Nigeria Limited 鈥� also for the production of letterhead papers and call cards.

He also appropriated N81,488,127 to himself and nine others as estacode for a study visit to the Inland Revenue of Malaysia, while N54,979,390 was approved to CDP Partnership Limited as payment for engagement as a consultant for 鈥渟tage I & II quantity surveying services鈥�.

The newspaper noted that over N591 million was approved as estacode payment for official trips made by staff to Rwanda, Kenya, and Morocco, among other countries.

The report stated: “The former FIRS boss approved over one billion as payment for the training of staff on tax disputes, Capital market operations, and tax evasion strategies, among other modules.”

As an engagement fee for consultancy work in respect of 鈥渆ducation and enlightenment of civil society organisations鈥�, the report as well indicated that Nami approved over N173 million to Juzor & Company Limited while Jiop Azzy Limited was listed to receive over N132 million for the same purpose.

The report said: “Nami also reportedly signed off on the payment of over N100 million to Skymart Capital Trading Ltd, Toplead Consulting Limited and Alim and Associates Limited for consultancy, monitoring and evaluation services.”

He travelled out of the country following the approval of the payments on 16 September, said the report.

Approval for payment is not payment in FIRS, says Nami

In his reaction to the report, Nami however, stressed that he “made no such approvals as claimed in the report.鈥�

He also explained in his tweets: “Fundamentally, it is important to note that no payment was made by the Service after the announcement of my pre-retirement leave as claimed by this story.

“An approval for payment in the Service is one step of a journey to payment.”

He said it is the custom that when a new Executive Chairman resumes office, he would review, validate, and make final authorisation before any payments can be made.

According to him, all decisions reached and extant liabilities/commitments of the Service during his stay in office were contained in the handover notes he gave to his successor 鈥� Zaccheus Adedeji, and that he was fully briefed on everything.

Nami stated: “For clarity, the items listed in the Cable Newspaper Report were part of the N16 billion outstanding commitments contained in our handover note.”

N5 billion for JTB

Nami explained that N5 billion paid to the Joint Tax Board (JTB) was meant to fund the activities of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms two months before he left office.

He disclosed the money was paid after the Service received a letter to that effect from the Office of the President and signed by the newly appointed Executive Chairman, Mr. Adedeji.

The money, according to Nami, was paid to the JTB to fund Oyedele鈥檚 reforms committee.

The former FIRS Chairman lamented the media report maliciously attempted to portray a picture that he hurriedly left Nigeria September 16, after the 鈥渟o-called suspicious approvals were made.鈥�

He asked: “Again, nothing can be further from the truth.

“If I travelled out of the country on the 16 September, how then did I attend the handover ceremony with Mr. Zacch on the afternoon of Monday, 18 September 2023?鈥�

He explained that the handover ceremony was covered by the media, and can be cross-checked.

Nami further tweeted: “It is disappointing to see the Cable, a revered online newspaper, attempt to sensationalise events that took place in the ordinary course of my work in office, making them seem as if they were done in bad faith.

“I want to categorically state that every decision I made within the time of my stay in office was within the ambit of the law and within the lawful powers I exercised then as Executive Chairman.鈥�

He also explained: “I inherited only N1.4 billion in the purse of the FIRS when I assumed office. I left N129 billion in the purse of the Service when I left.”

Tax Reforms Committee affirms N5bn allocation

Meanwhile, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Friday, September 29 confirmed that N5 billion was allocated to his committee of which N4 billion had been transferred to the JTB.

Oyedele, in a statement issued Friday, confirmed the allocation which he said was meant for a national 鈥淒ata for Tax鈥� project.

He, nonetheless, said over N4 billion of the said funds transferred by the FIRS to the JTB for the committee鈥檚 work 鈥渋s yet to be spent and very much intact in the JTB account.鈥�

The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms stated: “We will be responsible, prudent and accountable with every Naira of public funds we have been entrusted with.”

Oyedele further explained in the statement that the Committee鈥檚 budget includes provisions for a national 鈥淒ata for Tax鈥� project, which the JTB has been championing for over two years.

鈥淭he project was presented to the National Economic Council in 2022 and was meant to be funded by the Federal Government and the 36 states.

鈥淭he budget covers a period of one year being the lifespan of the Committee,鈥� he said.

Oyedele added that his committee was not set up simply to produce reports and recommendations, but that it was also charged with the implementation of recommended and approved proposals which need to be funded.

鈥淭he committee鈥檚 mandate includes ensuring prudence and accountability in the management of our national resources.

“It will, therefore, be a contradiction for the same committee to be wasteful or reckless in its own affairs.”

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