The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) recently revived their beef over the collection of stamp duty which has pitted both agencies against each other. The recent attack was initiated by the Chairperson of NIPOST, Maimuna Abubakar, who accused FIRS of actions that could eliminate NIPOST.

Abubakar said if the tax administrative is allowed to take charge of the stamp duty, FIRS will "kill and bury NIPOST", so the decision to empower FIRS to collect stamp duty should be reverted. She pleaded for the support of the general public to help NIPOST retrieve its responsibility of collecting the stamp duty.

In reaction to Abubakar's statement, FIRS' Director for Communication and Liaison, Abdullahi Ahmad, accused NIPOST of operating illegal stamp duties account, of which the postal agency is using to collect charges of stamp duties. Ahmad said FIRS will ensure all charges collected by NIPOST are accounted for and transferred into the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

How They Got Here

The confrontation started when the National Assembly passed the Finance Act which gave FIRS the power to collect stamp duty, taking the responsibility from NIPOST. The decision pitied both NIPOST and FIRS against each other, with workers of NIPOST storming the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja in December 2019, to make their grievances known.

The workers hindered guests and government officials from going in or out, thereby, preventing the presentation of the 2020 Budget at the main auditorium at the headquarters in December. Since the protest, both government agencies have been at loggerheads. The situation was later doused until the recent outbursts between Abubakar and FIRS.

Ministers Fighting Over Both Agencies

Both the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami and the Minister of Finance, Ahmed Zainab are the two ministers involved in the confrontation between NIPOST and FIRS - both agencies have the backing of each minister, giving room for the show of power and public confrontation.

Zainab had initiated the... https://allnews.ng/news/how-power-tussle-between-isa-pantami-ahmed-zainab-fuels-nipost-firs-dispute

Ahmed Zainab can't escape prosecution after Buhari's tenure..

It's a power tussle for embezzlement .