In response to recent allegations made by The Cable, former Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami, has issued a robust rejoinder denying any involvement in approving suspicious payments amounting to N11 billion after his departure from the position.
The allegations, as reported by The Cable, suggested that Nami had approved these payments just two days after his removal was announced, with N6 billion allocated to contractors and consultants, and an additional N5 billion transferred from the FIRS to the Joint Tax Board (JTB) account.
Furthermore, it was alleged that Nami had instructed certain staff members to work on weekends and had moved official files to his residence.
However, Nami vehemently refutes these claims, asserting that he made no such approvals following his exit as FIRS Executive Chairman.
He emphasized that no payments were processed by the Service after the announcement of his pre-retirement leave. He clarified that the customary practice within the Service required the incoming Executive Chairman to review, validate, and authorize payments before they could be executed.
Nami also highlighted that all decisions and outstanding liabilities during his tenure were meticulously documented in the handover notes provided to his successor, Zacch Adedeji. He explained that the N5 billion payment to the Joint Tax Board had been made to support the activities of the Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms, based on a directive received from the office of the President, signed by Zacch Adedeji himself.
He said, “First and foremost, I want to categorically state that after my exit as FIRS Executive Chairman, I made no such approvals as claimed in the report.
“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. 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.
“It is important to note for the record that all decisions reached and extant liabilities/ commitments of the Service during my stay in office are contained in the handover notes I made available to my successor, Mr. Zacch Adedeji.
“He is fully briefed on everything. For clarity the items listed in the Cable Newspaper Report were part of the N16 billion outstanding commitments contained in our handover note.
Additionally, Nami debunked the claim that he hastily left the country on September 16th, pointing out that he had participated in a handover ceremony with his successor on September 18th, which was widely covered by the media.
The report maliciously attempts to portray a picture that I hurriedly left the country on September 16th after these so called “suspicious approvals” were made.
“Again, nothing can be further from the truth. If I traveled out of the country on the 16th of September, how then did I attend the handover ceremony with Mr. Zacch on the afternoon of Monday 18th September 2023? That handover ceremony was covered by the media and can be cross-checked.
Expressing disappointment in the sensationalization of routine events during his tenure, Nami asserted that all his decisions were made within the bounds of the law and his lawful powers as Executive Chairman.
He continued, 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.
He also highlighted the financial improvement of the FIRS during his tenure, with the purse of the Service increasing from N1.4 billion to N129 billion.
Nami’s response sheds light on the contentious allegations, emphasizing transparency, legality, and due process in the execution of his duties as FIRS Chairman.
See statement below
My rejoinder to the Cable Story: “Ex-FIRS Boss Nami Approved N11bn ‘Suspicious’ Payments After His Exit
My attention has been drawn to a mischievous story by the Cable Newspaper claiming that I made approvals of over N11 billion after taking my pre-retirement leave. Nothing can be further from the truth. The entire story was sensationally written with mischief that took the ordinary events of my work out of context with the intent to tarnish my image.
First and foremost, I want to categorically state that after my exit as FIRS Executive Chairman, I made no such approvals as claimed in the report.
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. 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.
It is important to note for the record that all decisions reached and extant liabilities/ commitments of the Service during my stay in office are contained in the handover notes I made available to my successor, Mr. Zacch Adedeji. He is fully briefed on everything. For clarity the items listed in the Cable Newspaper Report were part of the N16 billion outstanding commitments contained in our handover note.
The N5 billion paid to Joint Tax Board was paid to fund the activities of Presidential Committee on Tax and Fiscal Policy Reforms two months before I left office. It was paid after we received a letter to that effect from the office of Mr. President signed by Zacch Adedeji himself.
The report maliciously attempts to portray a picture that I hurriedly left the country on September 16th after these so called “suspicious approvals” were made. Again, nothing can be further from the truth. If I traveled out of the country on the 16th of September, how then did I attend the handover ceremony with Mr. Zacch on the afternoon of Monday 18th September 2023? That handover ceremony was covered by the media, and can be cross-checked.
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.
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.