Fowler’s task and the enemies within

By Umoru Abdul

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Babatunde Fowler’s appointment as the Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) is unsettling a lot of interests. 

Thus, it will be absolutely erroneous to assume that the forces against the thorough and tested taxman are just the typical tax evaders and defaulters who for obvious reasons have become terribly agitated and increasingly conniving since the confirmation of Fowler as the boss of Nigeria’s tax agency.

Indeed, the distinguished tax administrator has got his new national duty cut out for him as he will not only be facing the wrong doers who by their reprehensible culture of tax evasion have been sitting at the root of Nigeria’s underdevelopment and robbing the country of its much needed resources to grow. Fowler will also be confronting the enemies within – some officials of the FIRS who are so accustomed to the old but retrogressive order.

There is actually no point repeating some of the phony faults and irrelevant issues that were raised against Fowler shortly after his appointment was made public by the Presidency.

Thankfully, Fowler has always been proving his detractors wrong; and, in some appreciable way, such circumstances have presented an avenue to further accentuate his preparedness for the arduous task of increasing the revenue base of the nation in this present dwindling economy.

But the truth is, the renewed attempt by the fifth columnists and their collaborators, which is evidently geared towards undermining, distracting, and derailing the master plan of the new FIRS team to bring more Nigerians into the tax family and plug holes in Nigeria’s tax administration, if pulled through may eventually cast a gloom over the entire change agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari.

That is why the authority needs to have a tight rein on the elements of bad old order who parade themselves as veteran civil servants and officials in several government’s ministries and agencies including the FIRS whose actual routine engagement is directed at destabilizing development process and causing confusion in the system.

It was really startling, to say the least, that some faceless and nebulous group who could only be identified as “aggrieved staff” of the FIRS and also as “Petitioners”, have been reported to have transmitted a petition against Fowler to President Buhari alleging that the FIRS had violated Inland Revenue Act amongst other unsubstantiated accusations.

For better understanding, perhaps this is one of the areas where the so-called “aggrieved staff” feel really aggrieved. Upon assumption of office some ministers and heads of agencies swiftly moved to relieve a number of personnel from various government services, given imminent retirement dates and the need to try more competent and efficient hands and offer them the opportunity to occupy higher positions for better service delivery as justification for the action.

Of course, the decision didn’t go down well with many Nigerians. They argue that the experience and expertise of those given the sack would have been useful in different areas within their various organisations. Truly speaking, I’m also in favour of such maximization of human potential.

Interestingly, in the case of FIRS, Fowler being a strong believer and investor in human capacity development and ability, instead of going the sack route as others, decided to restructure strategically through deployment of some personnel.

Yet there was still worthless talk about dissatisfaction and disappointment amongst the rank over an exemplary managerial intervention which already should have attracted wider applause.

It has actually been said that amongst those who are sending petitions and making spurious allegations are officials who want to remain in the same position and continue in the same old way while raising ethnicity, nepotism and other dodgy and dishonest cards against change in FIRS.

But Fowler is never an individual that will bow to such infantile shenanigans and evil machinations. More importantly, he is quite aware that the contribution of his agency is critical to a better Nigeria that President Buhari so desires. As such Fowler and his genuine team members must work fervently towards achieving the strategic transitioning from oil-dependent revenue to non-oil economic gains and fiscal stability.

And instructively, just as the APC-led government is being questioned over its several campaign promises, that’s why he and his team will be made to answer on the target of N4.9 trillion tax revenue that President Buhari has put before them. Therefore serious confrontation against the enemies within is a must; and this must involve the support of the Presidency and every well-meaning Nigerian.

The most practicable means to fall the fault finders and other indolent distractions is to surpass expectations in performance and deliverables which is very possible with all good hands on deck.