In a shocking turn of events, sources close to TheCable have uncovered a series of suspicious financial transactions allegedly approved by the former FIRS Federal Inland Revenue Service – FIRS boss, Nami, after his removal from office. Officials with inside knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity, revealed that Nami had directed staff from various departments, including finance, audit, and internal affairs, to work over the weekend to process certain financial transactions.
What’s more concerning is that files were purportedly moved from the FIRS headquarters to Nami’s residence, where they were allegedly backdated and signed. These actions have raised serious questions about the legality and transparency of these payments.
One particularly eyebrow-raising revelation is that Nami transferred approximately N5 billion from the FIRS account to the Joint Tax Board (JTB) account. Even after warnings from the FIRS director of finance and accounts about potential repercussions, Nami reportedly assured them that the incoming chairman would remain oblivious to these approvals.
Adding to the intrigue, it has come to light that Jibrin Jibrin, Nami’s cousin and an assistant manager at the FIRS, reassured some staff members that these payments would go unnoticed, suggesting that Nami had “taken care of things” when he was the special assistant on revenue to the president during the tenure of the acting executive chairman of the FIRS.
Nami’s actions drew further scrutiny when it was discovered that he left the country shortly after approving these payments on September 16. Documents obtained by TheCable show that Nami approved staggering amounts, including N5,628,496,823.04, $863,293.00, and £8,780 for express payments to 196 beneficiaries, all on the same day.
Among the controversial payments, Nami authorized N1,409,950,625.00 for 807 nominees for a ‘Business Case for Strategic Leadership’ retreat scheduled for November 2023. Additionally, N250,325,000 was allocated for the FIRS Data Mining Management and Analytics in Taxation Course.
The former FIRS chairman also greenlit N221,311,840.00 for “Skill Development and Management Improvement Workshop Training” and earmarked N42,398,000.00 for Mawo Dav Printing Nig. Ltd for the production of letterhead papers and call cards. Another N36,513,718.75 was approved for Gebos Nig. Ltd for the same purpose.
In a surprising twist, Nami allocated N81,488,127.00 to himself and nine others as an estacode for a study visit to the Inland Revenue of Malaysia. At the same time, N54,979,390 was approved by CDP Partnership Ltd for consultancy services related to quantity surveying.
The total approved for estacode payments for official trips to countries such as Rwanda, Kenya, and Morocco exceeded N591 million. Furthermore, over one billion was greenlit for staff training in various areas, including tax disputes, capital market operations, and tax evasion strategies.
In another controversial move, Nami approved over N173 million to Juzor & Company Ltd for consultancy work on educating and enlightening civil society organizations. At the same time, Jiop Azzy Ltd was set to receive over N132 million for the same purpose.
Nami’s administration also reportedly signed off on payments exceeding N100 million to Skymart Capital Trading Ltd, Toplead Consulting Limited, and Alim and Associates Limited for consultancy, monitoring, and evaluation services.
These revelations raise serious concerns about financial mismanagement during Nami’s tenure and warrant further investigation. The FIRS, under new leadership, faces the challenging task of addressing these allegations and ensuring transparency and accountability in its financial operations.