The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has said that the allegations that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is in trouble over N90 billion it took from FIRS to fund the 2019 election by Timi Frank is totally false and malicious.

The Service in a statement, said “the attention of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, has been drawn to publication in some online and daily newspapers by a certain Comrade Timi Frank, the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who claimed that the FIRS supported the APC, through the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with a phantom N90 billion.”

The statement which was signed by the Director, Communication and Servicom Wahab Gbadamosi noted that the allegations are malicious, wicked and an attempt to smear the image of the FIRS and that of the Vice President.

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The statement reads: “The entire allegation being spread by one Frank Timi that the Federal Inland Revenue Service spent N90billion to fund the last election is mendacious, wicked, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Service and that of his Excellency, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

“This campaign of calumny and vilifying false claims are entire, libellous, unfounded in fact, irresponsible and a brazen assault on the integrity of the Service as a responsible and accountable organisation and clearly demonstrates an abysmal ignorance of the budgetary and expenditure process of the FIRS.

“That in the last four years since Mr Tunde Fowler has supervised operations at the FIRS, the agency had not received up to N90billion, per annum, as Cost of Collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. Mr Frank and his band of liars might wish to cross-check this from FAAC, a public institution, whose records are open to the public.

“That it is from the remittances from FAAC—which had never grossed up to N100 billion, per annum, that FIRS pays the salary and emoluments and trains it’s over 8000 staff, runs over 150 offices and provides for other needs of the Service.

“That given the above, it is not plausible nor does it make any sense that FIRS will commit its resources to a phantom campaign of N90billion as suggested by Mr Timi Frank and FIRS does not fund political associations.

“That FIRS is a creation of statute and its activities are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and financials regulations and thus, it is not plausible, that its funds could be expended in such a cavalier manner as suggested by Mr Timi Frank.

“That FIRS Budget and expenditure approval processes pass through the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance before such is presented to the National Assembly for Appropriation into Law.

https://dailynaijamode.com/n90bn-election-fund-your-allegations-against-osinbajo-are-false-firs-replies-timi-frank/

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