Fo
rmer Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, has vehemently denied allegations of suspicious payments and financial mismanagement during his tenure. He clarified the financial state of the organization upon his departure and addressed claims of improper approvals in a recent statement.
Mr. Nami’s response came in the wake of a report suggesting that he had authorized over N11 billion in payments after announcing his pre-retirement leave. He firmly refuted these claims, emphasizing that he made no such approvals following his exit.
In his detailed rejoinder, Nami explained the procedural nature of payment authorizations within the FIRS. He stressed that payments required several steps, including validation and final authorization by the new Executive Chairman after his departure. Therefore, no payments were executed after he announced his pre-retirement leave.
Nami also highlighted that he had diligently handed over all relevant information to his successor, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, including the outstanding commitments and liabilities of the FIRS. He pointed out that the items mentioned in the report were part of the N16 billion outstanding commitments contained in the handover notes.
One specific payment of N5 billion to the Joint Tax Board was intended to support the activities of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms, and it was made two months before Nami left office. This payment was executed in accordance with a letter from the office of the President, signed by Zacch Adedeji himself.
Nami refuted claims that he hastily left the country on September 16th, immediately after these alleged approvals. He cited his attendance at the handover ceremony with Zacch Adedeji on the afternoon of Monday, September 18th, 2023, as evidence to counter this assertion. He urged the public to cross-check media coverage of the handover ceremony to verify this fact.
Furthermore, Nami expressed disappointment with the Cable, the online newspaper that published the initial report, for sensationalizing routine events during his tenure. He stressed that all decisions made during his time as Executive Chairman were in full compliance with the law and within the bounds of his lawful authority.
In conclusion, Nami clarified that he inherited a meager N1.4 billion when he assumed office as FIRS Chairman and left behind a substantial N129 billion in the organization’s coffers when he departed. His statement aims to address the allegations and set the record straight regarding his financial stewardship at FIRS.
