₦airaland Forum

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.

photo: B Fowler the face of a tax thief

Hehehe! Oti bere. Tinubu will milk lagos and still milk Nigeria too. Who says the jagaban, rotten teeth and all, is not powerful?

Source: https://thewhistler.ng/story/firs-boss-fowler-in-n7bn-tax-refund-fraud-hires-250-secretly

E done happen again
Why are all these calamities befalling APC?

APC and Corruption are like bread and butter

All these Ibori, Orji Kalu, Aregbesola, Dariye, Kwankwaso etc are local (state) thieves, stealing mainly only from their own states. Tinubu is a national thief, stealing with proxy from multiple state's (Lagos, Osun) and federal purses. Give it to him, he is the smartest rogue among the rogues.

before nko, you put Tinubu boy for office
and u dey expect transparency it can never
happen he no go pay returns to Jababan?
no b because of him Aregbe use Osun
borrow money. abi all money wey Aregbe
borrowd wetin he take am do

What good can come from Tinubu?

Those appointment that fowler made through the back door are conduit pipe to siphon public funds for tinubu.

Love Machine:
Those appointment that fowler made through the back door are conduit pipe to siphon public funds for tinubu.

No doubt about that

Corruption Is in the blood of even the newest American born baby.....!

I said it long time ago when this gentleman was appointed by PMB to oversee the affairs of FIRS, what came to my mind then when reading his profile is much influence of Tinubu who many belief has nature boys to men in politics n other sectors. But.......................... Let wait n see

Aromas:
I said it long time ago when this gentleman was appointed by PMB to oversee the affairs of FIRS, what came to my mind then when reading his profile is much influence of Tinubu who many belief has nature boys to men in politics n other sectors. But.......................... Let wait n see

Tinubu's hand is clearly here.

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