In what could be described as one of the grand heists in President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr. Babatunde Fowler, has been fingered in a N7billion tax refund scam.

Also, aggrieved management staff of the FIRS are accusing him of unilateral employment of 250 new staff without following civil service rule for such employment, while he has embarked on a witch hunt against those perceived to be in opposition to him.

Documents obtained by The Whistler showed that Fowler, a known ally of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, refunded N7billion to construction firm, Julius Berger, being excess tax allegedly paid by the company between 2012 and 2015.

However, the issue of the excess tax refund had been reviewed by the FIRS last year before Fowler’s controversial appointment was denied by management which insisted that Julius Berger was not entitled to any refund rather had underpaid its tax.

The review of the construction company’s tax returns was carried out by Mr. Innocent Ohagwa, who was then a director in the Lagos Tax Office of the FIRS.

An insider, who spoke in confidence with The Whistler, said the belief is that the chairman would have pocketed over N700 million being 10 percent of the tax refund to Julius Berger.

“The chairman is less than one year in office and you can see what he has done. How can you singlehandedly refund N7billion to a company when there is a review on ground that says Julius Berger is not entitled to any refund?

“This is coming on the heels of dwindling resources, at a time the government is trying to shore up revenue collection but without consultation the chairman just refunded such huge sum to a single company.

“The president needs to order a forensic investigation into this matter, except we are meant to believe that this is part of the FG’s settlement to somebody,” the source said.

In a related development, Fowler has come under fire for recruiting 250 new staff through the backdoor.

In some letters sighted by The Whistler, the new staff were employed in February, majorly at the directorate level, with some as Special Advisers, and consultants being mainly people that worked with Fowler when he headed the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue Service.

To pave way for those he engaged through the backdoor, he has redeployed over 62 senior management staff to non-functional training school in the six geo-political zones of the country.

For instance, Mr. Andrew Ayabam, Salihu Baba Alkali, Bimpe Badmus, Jimoh I.T.T and Sola Akingbade, all newly appointed are domiciled in the headquarters with sensitive positions, while long standing directors and deputy directors were posted to the training schools and as acting state coordinators.

One of those posted to the North West had complained that the offices are poorly furnished with no running imprests given that most jobs are now being handled by consultants.

It would be recalled that Fowler was appointed by President Buhari on August 20, 2015 and assumed duty though he was confirmed by the Senate in December of the same year.

http://www.corruptionreporter.com/firs-boss-fowler-n7bn-tax-refund-fraud-hires-250-secretly/

Which way Nigeria? Na like this we go de dey? This CHANGE is so 'amazing'! Is this some kind of compensation after the game of REMITA was blown open?

Is this not the same Fowler that appended 'Dr' to his name having supposedly acquired a Doctorate from a nonexistent school?

What can i say.

Refund what? This is just like saying that a Lebanese Company overpaid tax to government. May God save us from manipulation in this country!

Another Tinubu boy bites the dust

Not surprised, he is following the footsteps of his mentor THIE(F)NUBU.

FIRS staff should better sit up, I guess it's no more business as usual, a lot of them r not finding it easy under dis new management

My own na my own

No be only "whistler" na refree...

To pave way for those he engaged through the backdoor, he has redeployed over 62 senior management staff to non-functional training school in the six geo-political zones of the country.

Corrupt civil servants, they don't want to give way to the new order...they thought it was "business as usual"...

Where were they, when FIRS could only generate a partly 980Billion as Tax and VaTs for the whole Year?

Where were they, when only about 20% of registered companies was paying tax?

Now somebody came and set a Target of 4Trillion for the fiscal year, while employing those he believe can help him achieve his Target and they are screaming corruption to blackmail him...

Civil irritants....

Fowlers Carry go Joor! In fact generate 10Trillion for us, and we will be glad to part with 1Billion Naira...

I know from onset that this fowler of a man is all there to loot and increases budillion empire.

d abomination going on under buari dullard's govt is making d devil look more like a saint.

Nawa o...Nah we we dey do ourselves for this country. People just trying to amass wealth at all cost. Mehn nah only God fit clean this country o

Fake news. Hatchet job from the stable of the howling howlers.

Chai... God why did u punish us with Buhari and his cohorts

#Mussings of a pained Wailer.

They never come from a credible source, but as far as it is anti Buhari, it is OK.

Who dares to deny a Wailer their inalienable right to Wail.

7bn to me is small potatoes; they shoulda tagged it 700billion. Then we know we are talking "figures".

Buhari and his crew are too greedy

NgeneUkwenu:
No be only "whistler" na refree...

Me I dey even think of assistant lines man sef.

I'm surprised this isn't coming from thetrentonline.com or Igberetv.com.

This Fowler sef. Must you recruit 2,000,0000

The brazen corruption currently ongoing in this administration would be fully blown open once they are booted out 2019.

NgeneUkwenu:
No be only "whistler" na refree...



Corrupt civil servants, they don't want to give way to the new order...they thought it was "business as usual"...

Where were they, when FIRS could only generate a partly 980Billion as Tax and VaTs for the whole Year?

Where were they, when only about 20% of registered companies was paying tax?

Now somebody came and set a Target of 4Trillion for the fiscal year, while employing he believe can help him achieve his Target and they are screaming corruption to blackmail him...

Civil irritants....

Fowlers Carry go Joor! In fact generate 10Trillion for us, and we will glad to part with 1Billion Naira...

This Hausa man has come again, PMB and APC are really making your job so difficult

Now this...
We need a country where the elders will plant trees knowing that they will not rest in thier shades.
Prof.Dora Akunyili
Against this...
The Baboons and Monkeys will all soak in blood. Gen.Muhammed Buhari.rtd


Sorry...i just rejected a phd in ZOOlogy.

[size=13pt]I knew it . . . . . . they are busy stealing to recoup their campaign funds[/size]

Nigeria leaders toeing the same path that failed us. Making tribal based employment, looting and fraud. Even if Tunde Fowler generate 1trillion in a wrong way, it's dangerous to our society.

Hmm

How true is this story? If it is, then let's give this administration a chance to prove its metal. Only a fool would have expected this administration to be 100% corrupt free.

Shebi that's why Tinubu put him there. He is already serving his purpose.

that one even talk sey dem transfer am go place wey no dey renovated
shebi u be part of the oga before, why una no renovate am, oga stay der and enjoy your shit

fake news from an unknown source

which one is this

http://www.corruptionreporter.com/firs-boss-fowler-n7bn-tax-refund-fraud-hires-250-secretly/


I guess if it was a news report to talk about how billions are being recovered from the past government or how corrupt the GEJ administration was......

alot of people contributing here will dismiss, antagonize the news because of the source

but because it tries to paint the government at hand in a bad light...... they will open their mouth and say negative things without asking about the source of the news which is questionable


mtcheww

Which kind stupid journalism be this, putting tinubu's name in your reporting shows how unprofessional this is, what has that got to do with reporting the news. Can you imagine any major news outlet reporting news this way.

If say d sauce make sense I for comment mind but make I reserve my comment. By the way FIRS have been and are actually still doing backyard recruitment so dat one na true.