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Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has nominated a renowned tax consultant, Muhammad M. Nami as the new chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
He is to take over from Babatunde Fowler, whose tenure expired on Monday, 9th December.
In a statement by Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari has approved the composition of a new board for the FIRS, subject to Senate confirmation.
The statement said Fowler is expected to “hand over to the most senior director on the board, who will take charge, pending the Senate confirmation of the new board.”
According to the statement, the board is composed of a member representing each of the six geographical zones and statutory representatives from a select number of ministries and government agencies.
Muhammad, a well-trained tax, accounting and management professional with highly-rated qualifications and professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies, has almost three decades of practical working experience in auditing, tax management and advisory and management services to clients in the banking, manufacturing, services and public sectors as well as non- profit organizations.
He is an expert in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new business start-ups and management of existing businesses. He has also continuously rendered outsourced services to clients in trading, service and manufacturing sectors of the nation’s economy.
Nami attended Bayero University, Kano and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (1991) and a Masters of Business degree (2004) respectively. He is a fellow of Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Debt Recovery Practitioners of Nigeria and Associate Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) and Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
He started his career with PFK in 1993 and rose to the position of a senior consultant in charge of tax management and advisory services. He is currently the managing consultant of Manam Professional Services (Chartered Tax Practitioners and Business Advisers) based in Kaduna, Abuja and Niger State.
Muhammad has served, and is still serving, on many companies’ Board and Statutory Board Audit Committees. He was appointed as a member, Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November, 2017 by President Buhari.
He is married with children.
Fowler, who is a childhood friend and former classmate of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, was appointed as the FIRS chairman on August 20, 2015.
In August, he was queried by President Buhari over poor revenue collections.
The query signed was signed by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari.
The query titled; “Re: Budgeted FIRS Collections and actual collections”, the presidency sought explanation of what it suggested was insufficient tax collected between 2015 and 2018.
In April, FIRS was enmeshed in alleged fraud.
Top officials were arrested and released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly diverting about N6 billion tax funds that should have gone to the Nigerian government.
In May, the National Assembly Joint Committee raised concern over FIRS’ 2019 projected estimate of non-oil revenue tax collection of N146.54 billion.
The committee sought to know why the 2018 approved estimate was N153.85 billion, while the 2019 projected cost stood at N146.54, amounting to 4.75 per cent decrease.
On personnel cost, the committee had asked why the service was proposing 14.6 per cent increase in number of staff from 7, 854 in 2018 to 9000 staff in 2019.
It equally demanded explanation for the “proposed N160 million meant to sew drivers’ uniforms, N825 million for refreshment and security vote of N250 million among others.”
