Updated: EFCC Arrests 9 Top FIRS Officials, as Staff Threaten Showdown over Handover Controversy

Malik Yahya/

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reportedly arrested nine top management staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) just hours after its ersthwhile chairman, Babatunde Fowler, left office.

This is as staffers of the organisation gave notice of industrial action over the appointment of Mr. Abiodun Aina as its acting Chairman.

Sources told NewsmakersNG that the arrest is most likely connected with the ongoing investigation into alleged approval and payment of duty tour allowances running into billions of naira to some staff, who were later discovered not to have travelled during the period.

The staff alleged that Aina was not qualified for the position.

A group which calls itself the Joint Action Council (JUC) of the FIRS in a petition to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, gave a Friday deadline for the removal of Aina as acting Chairman.

The group also accused Fowler of violating the presidential directive to hand over power to the most senior director of FIRS pending the confirmation of the new chairman’s appointment by the National Assembly and assumption of office.

The petition signed by the chairman of the JUC, Okere Samson; the vice-chairman, Idris Abdulrahaman; Secretary, Lekwot Thomas, and 14 other members, the group gave further reasons why Aina’s appointment should not stand.

It faulted Aina’s choice on the grounds that it was not in accordance with the presidential directive that the seniority list in the FIRS hierarchy should be followed.

Others copied in the petition included President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and his counterpart in the Nigeria Civil Service Union.

The petition reads, “Please refer to the Presidential Directive on the appointment of the new FIRS Chairman, wherein there was a presidential directive for hand over to the most senior Director in the service.

“The attention of the Joint Union Council of FIRS has been drawn to the handover of the Chairmanship of FIRS on acting capacity to Mr. Biodun Aina on Monday, 9th December 2019. This was a clear departure from the Presidential Directive on the handing over, as he is not the most senior Director.

“Mr. Abiodun Aina in the first instance does not have the basic qualification/requirement (HND or BSc) to be employed into the service.

“Secondly, his appointment to the position of Coordinating Director was against the provision of section 2.19 of FIRS Human Resources Policies and Processes.”

The petition also quotes the provision on page 24 which reads: “Appointment to the post of Coordinating Director shall be made by the Board (of FIRS) on the recommendation of the Executive Chairman. The appointment shall be open to all confirmed Directors of the Service and it shall be competitive based on experience, competence and seniority.”

The group contended that Aina was never a director in the service, rather a Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past Chairman of the FIRS.

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