Former Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) Chairman Muhammad Nami approved payments totaling N6 billion to various contractors and consultants shortly after his departure from the position, according to documents obtained by TheCable.
This decision reportedly occurred just two days after Nami’s removal from his role on September 14.
Backdated approvals
Unnamed officials with knowledge of the situation have alleged that Nami directed staff from the finance, audit, and internal affairs departments to work over the weekend to finalize certain financial transactions.
There are claims that files were transported from the agency’s headquarters to Nami’s residence, where they were allegedly backdated and signed.
Sources familiar with the matter assert that Nami also transferred approximately N5 billion from the FIRS account to the Joint Tax Board (JTB) account.
The FIRS director of finance and accounts was said to have raised concerns about these transactions but was allegedly reassured by Nami that the incoming chairman would not discover the approvals.
It has been suggested that Jibrin Jibrin, Nami’s cousin and an assistant manager at the FIRS, told some staff members that the payments would not attract attention, implying that his uncle had handled the necessary procedures when the acting executive chairman of the FIRS served as the special assistant on revenue to the president.
TheCable reports that Nami left the country shortly after approving these payments on September 16.
The payments approved by Nami included N5,628,496,823.04, $863,293.00, and £8,780 for express payment to 196 beneficiaries in a single day.
Among the approved payments were N1,409,950,625.00 for a ‘Business Case for Strategic Leadership’ retreat, N250,325,000 for FIRS Data Mining Management and Analytics in Taxation Course, and N221,311,840.00 for ‘Skill Development and Management Improvement Workshop Training’.