₦airaland Forum

SaharaReporters has exclusively obtained the sponsor-list of the employees that were illegally hired at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).


The list—which includes some of Nigeria’s most prominent political figures—was released to SaharaReporters following its June 15 report exposing the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Babatunde Fowler, as overseeing the recruitment exercise in violation of Nigerian laws and in further harm to President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption initiative.

The list of sponsors includes aides of President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, political operatives of the All Progressives Congress (APC), federal legislators, the Federal Character Commission (FCC), as well as top officials of FIRS itself. Also on the list are aides of the traditional ruler of Lagos, former President Shehu Shagari, and former Head of State Yakubu Gowon. That broad span demonstrates the depth and magnitude of the illegal employment menace in the country.

As in the case of the illegal hires of the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, which was exposed by SaharaReporters three months ago, Mr. Fowler illegally recruited no fewer than 349 new FIRS staff members by deliberately ignoring existing Nigerian regulations, laws, and guidelines for public jobs.

According to the list, Mr. Fowler himself sponsored the highest number of illegal hires, with at least 89 recruits being attributed to him. As the corruption spread in the service, the Special Advisor to Mr. Fowler sponsored no fewer than eight illegal hires, while the Coordinating Directors of the Support Services Group, the Domestic Tax Group, and the Compliance and Standards Group (CSG) also took turns.

Sources speaking to SaharaReporters revealed that two hires—Rasheeda Seghosime and Danjuma Seghosime—are the children of FIRS CSG Coordinating Director Queensley Seghosime.

In a practice that parallels the gerrymandering and manipulation in the illegal CBN hires, the Seghosime siblings are curiously listed as being from two different States: Rasheeda listed under Jigawa State, and Danjuma under Delta State.

Another powerful political figure who repeatedly sponsored candidates is Senator Owan Enoh, (Cross River Central). The list shows Mr. Enoh as having sponsored no fewer than 60 illegal hires. Another lawmaker, Babangida Ibrahim, who represents Katsina State in the House of Representatives, also appears to have sponsored no fewer than 10 people.

Sources with knowledge of the illegal hiring practices at the FIRS revealed to SaharaReporters that Mr. Enoh and Mr. Ibrahim, both of whom are the Chairmen on the Senate and House Finance Committees, worked with Mr. Fowler to distribute the public job spots to members of those committees.

This source explained that Mr. Enoh and Mr. Babangida may not even know all the names attributed to them as sponsors because they were intermediaries between Mr. Fowler at FIRS and the Finance Committee members in the Senate and House.

Neither Mr. Enoh or Mr. Ibrahim returned SaharaReporters calls when our correspondent sought comment on these developments.

No fewer than 35 illegal hires were sponsored by the “VP”, according to the sponsor list and FIRS sources speaking with our correspondent. However, according to one source, “I do not know whether these people were sponsored by the Vice President himself or people in his office.”

SaharaReporters spoke to Mr. Osinbajo’s spokesman Laolu Akande, who promised to respond to our inquiries on Friday but did not do so throughout the weekend.

The Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, is listed as having sponsored no fewer than 27 illegal FIRS hires and was described as having enjoyed a “hands-on” role in selecting all hires.

A source at FIRS told SaharaReporters that, unlike many of the recruits sponsored by Mr. Enoh, SGF Lawal knew many of those he sponsored and was instrumental in selecting them to fill those spots. This source also added that Mr. Lawal was supposed to investigate allegations that FIRS was hiring people illegally as far back as April, but “simply ignored the issue.” It was also learned that at least 4 of the 27 illegal hires Mr. Lawal sponsored came from his wife.

Mr. Lawal told SaharaReporters by text and email that he was categorically certain that he had no role in the illegal hires and that reports linking him were false.

President Buhari’s Senior Special Advisers to the National Assembly, Kawu Sumaila and Ita Enang, are also listed as sponsors in the FIRS hires. Mr. Sumaila, SSA to the House of Representatives, sponsored five job slots; Mr. Enang, eight. Sources explained that Mr. Fowler provided these slots to Mr. Sumaila and Mr. Enang as a gesture of good faith concerning future requests.

Sources explained the keywords used to convey who was sponsoring which illegal candidate:

· CD meant Coordinating Director in various FIRS groups

· EC stood for Executive Chairman, meaning Mr. Fowler;

· DG BPSR meant Joe Abah, the Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms;

· FCC stood for the Federal Character Commission, the Commissioners of which received job slots to distribute in exchange for ignoring the fact that FIRS was not publicly advertising the jobs.


Sahara Reporters Media
SaharaReporters sources could not confirm the code words “Baba” or “Mama”, which sponsored at least 20 and 10 jobs respectively, but curiously a duplicate name sponsored by “Mama” was also listed as being sponsored by “Small Villa.” It is believed that the code names were referring to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is widely called Baba, while "Mama" might be his wife, Hajia Aisha Buhari. Our sources could not confirm to whom or what “Small Villa” represented, either.

As in the case of CBN Governor Emiefiele, sour sources explained to that Mr. Fowler was the mastermind for this monumental illegl employment scheme as a way for him to maintain control of FIRS even if he got sacked by President Buhari.

“FIRS not only has a massive budget but if Tunde were to leave he would still be able to influence the FIRS,” one source explained.

He added: “Tunde would be able to peddle influence and buy favors from Nigerian companies to give them assistance manipulating FIRS” after he leaves.

Sources from the FIRS also explained to our correspondent that most of these illegal hires were relatives or friends of the sponsors but that some job slots were sold for money.

Other names which are listed as having sponsored some of the illegal FIRS jobs are the Attorney General to the Federation, Abubakar Malami; Chief Pius Akinyelure; Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; former Head of State General Yakubu Gowon; the Head of Service, Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita; the former FIRS Executive Chairman Ifueko Omoigui-Okauru; Minister of Information Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State for Planning Zainab Ahmed; the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Akiolu; former FIRS boss Alhaji Kabir Mashi; and APC Deputy Publicity Secretary Timi Frank.

According to SaharaReporters’ investigation, six of the new recruits are of the position of deputy director, while 10 are assistant directors. Thirty-four others are of the rank of deputy manager, while the rest are made up of senior managers, managers, assistant managers and officers.

The full list of sponsors and illegal hires can be viewed below:

FIRS Sponsor List

Why must it be PDP that will be telling us the news?

This APC government has finished this country. Why is this fool still recruiting people since his strategy is to contract all core functions of FIRS to the consultants belonging to Osibanjo and Tinubu. It is a shame, I wonder if that FIRS even have workers union at all. This Fowler is a total failure. Target he can't meet. Busy recruiting and laying condit to loot the federal treasury with his cronies. We are wiser and watching.

A few months after a secret employment exercise by the Central Bank of Nigeria was unearthed by SaharaReporters, another government agency has been hit by a similar scandal. This time the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), headed by Mr. Babatunde Fowler, a protege of Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) has been found to have overseen recruitment excercises in violation of Nigeria's rules of public advertisement.

FIRS, under Fowler, recently employed 3489 new staff. The recruitment exercise, SaharaReporters authoritatively gathered, was not preceded by a public advertisement of vacancies to be filled and approval by the Federal Character Commission as the service rules stipulate. The newly employed persons were inducted in Abuja last Wednesday. Fowler, who was appointed last August by President Muhammadu Buhari, had previously been accused of indifference to service rules on employment by secretly hiring 250 new staff. However, his accusers, could not make the charge stick, as he claimed those hired are not full-time employees but consultants.

The latest findings, however, are accompanied by substantial evidence including the list of new recruits, complete with their states of origin, dates of birth, phone numbers, email addresses, academic qualifications, recommended ranks and proposed duty stations.

The list, exclusively obtained by SaharaReporters, showed that six of the new recruits are of the position of deputy director, while 10 are assistant directors. Thirty-four others are of the rank of deputy manager, while the rest are made up of senior managers, managers, assistant managers and officers. All the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory are represented on the list. Akwa Ibom State, for example, got six slots, while Gombe has 13. Ondo State is a beneficiary of 13 slots. Lagos State, where Fowler hails from, was awarded 14 slots.

Katsina got 18, Kano 15 and Borno 23. Rivers State was given 14 slots. But in certain cases, the list does not show the states of origin and education qualifications of some of the new staff, making it difficult to know they states of origin and qualifications.

Wahab Gbadamosi, FIRS acting Director of Information, told a news website last week that relevant agencies of government approved the recruitment.

"Your enquiry on the targeted recruitment at the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS refers. We wish to respond as follows: Please note that requisite agencies of government approved the targeted recruitment by the FIRS. Due Process -in recruiting into a Federal Government agency- was followed; The FIRS is a conscientious, law-abiding institution which adheres to statutory rules and procedures; The FIRS is focused on its duty to collect revenue to fund the national budget and pleads that it should be allowed to concentrate on its 2016 target of N4. 9 trillion,” he was quoted to have responded via email.

Noticeably absent from the mail, however, are whether the vacancies were advertised or not and the names of the relevant agencies that green-lighted the recruitment.

As with the CBN recruitment scandal, the list of employed persons reeks of nepotism.

The full list can be viewed below:

No doubt, since it's police to police, the suspect has to be arrested sharp sharp.

RIP to the dead.

This man is never tired of lying.

Who sent them? Which group is that again?

This so called Tinubu is a bloody comedian. In no distant time, he will be the person begging Nigerisns to allow the present government continue the implementation of Sure-p.

This man must be a comedian.

Merger of APC and PDP, who can predict the new name with the new logo?

Tomorrow he will say he never said anything like that, probably Osibande did.

In fact, these people are taking us for granted. Integrity has become the problem here, so even believing our leaders has become a problem.

In God we trust!

Please I don't know the country he is in now, I know h us always on transit, somebody should please tell him that, more killings by Fulani herdsman are going on in Benue State right now. His attention is urgently needed.

Music
Alcohol
Sex

Helicopter is meant to fly and not to be carried. Let us see it in the air.

Nawa for Buhari sef.

Where are our chibok girl?

Is confab report to be adopted in piecemeal?

It's like this arms deal has made all to sin.

Chisos wept!

Good news. But hope the much expected chibok girls are among them? Someone should please confirm and revert asap. Thank you.

Government must come up with a news to justify the destruction of people's businesses in their absence without pre-information. God help us. Now Where are the pictures?

The court will soon deny it.

Their days are numbered,

After the court will deny, that they never granted any of them bail. Granting of bail will soon become like APC campaign promises.

Please enough of this Davido stuff, let's discuss something serious, please I need ifone charger.

So how much did you get? Please return our money before anything. Thank you.

Abandoned property by boko haram, now in the hands of bad boys. God save Nigeria.

It is obvious that the National Assembly and the Judiciary are the twin problem of this country.

By December he will tell us that, he was not the person that said it. It was said by APC.

Looking like a beast

Someone should please help with the summary.

We are waiting