Buhari Queries FIRS Boss Fowler Over Poor Revenue Collection for Four Years
President Muhammadu Buhari has queried the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Babatunde Fowler over poor revenue collections from 2015 to 2018 that were seen to be far lower than those collected between 2012 and 2014.
The query dated August 8, 2019 was titled; “Re: Budgeted FIRS Collections and Actual Collections” was signed by Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to the President in which he invited Fowler to respond by August 19, 2019.
Forefront gathered that the gathered query is laying a foundation being laid for the ouster of Fowler as Chief tax officer of the Federation. This is coming as his tenure is deemed to have expired thereby foreclosing any possible renewal.
Kyari’s query to Fowler read in part; “Your attached letter (FIRS/EC/CWP/0249/19/027 dated 26 July 2019) on the above subject matter, refers.
“We observed significant variances between the budgeted collections and actual collections for the period 2015 to 2018.
“Accordingly, you are kindly invited to submit a comprehensive variance analysis explaining the reasons for the variances between budgeted and actual collections for each main tax item for each of the years 2015 to 2018.
“Furthermore, we observed that the actual collections for the period 2015 to 2017 were significantly worse than what was collected between 2012 and 2014.
“Accordingly, you are kindly to explain the reasons for the poor collections. You are kindly invited to respond by 19 August 2019.”
Forefront News gathered that with the query from the presidency, it is clear that the exit of Fowler from the FIRS is certain except some other political considerations are put into play which looks most unlikely.
Fowler is also expected to face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over some employment racketeering, financial misdemeanor and abuse amongst other issues during his tenure.
The EFCC angle is expected to put a final nail to deny him any possibility of his attempting to seek a renewal of office for a second term.
As it stands now, it is only a matter of days for Fowler to be booted out of office and possibly made to cool off in the EFCC detention facility for some time.
Fowler was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on August 18, 2015 as the FIRS Chairman on a four-year renewable tenure.
Going by his service track record of impressive revenue collections in Lagos State, Fowler was expected to reenact the same feat at the Federal level by expanding the nation’s revenue base in the light of obvious dwindling income from oil sales.
Under his watch in the last three years covering 2016 to 2018, the FIRS reportedly collected over N12.6 trillion in taxes.
The reported figures indicated that N3.2 trillion came in as collected revenue in 2015 while it went up to N3,307 trillion in 2016; N4,027 trillion in 2017; and N5,320 trillion in 2018. The 2018 collection remains the highest amount of revenue generated into the Federal Government’s coffers in any particular year.
Fowler had in January announced that FIRS’ target for the year 2019 stood at N8 trillion
As at press time, insiders at the FIRS could not officially confirm if the boss’ response to the query was ready for submission to the Presidency today as directed.
