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RUMBLE IN FIRS OVER FOWLER’S HANDLING OF STAFF AFFAIRS


All may not be well in the apex Federal Inland Revenue Service of Nigeria over perceived mishandling of staff matters. As a result, staff are up in arms bemoaning their faith in the hands of Chief Babatunde Fowler the current Executive Chairman whose tenure expires December 10, 2019. According to reports reaching our desk, the staff are groaning over lack of vacancies in the Establishment created by the chairman’s frequent attitude of bringing in those regarded as “outsiders”. Over time these “outsiders” have filled the vacancies “insiders” are supposed to vie for. Now they hardly write promotion exams.  “I have been a deputy director now for six years and I watch and see how they bring in people from outside”, lamented Mr. Isaac. In addition, Fowler is believed to have cut out all allowances usually entitled to staff, including capacity building overseas. ‘This man has also reduced our imprest and instead he uses strange contractors to supply the same thing that we normally purchase ourselves with imprest”, said the same Mr. Isaac.
Besides, Babatunde Fowler is said to have a penchant for doling out employment to senators, members of Reps, Ministers, and other top associates just for the want of it. “This is wrong, as he is downgrading professionalism”, said the source. “FIRS is no longer what it was, and now, this Establishment that generates so much for the nation is just about to be reduced to nothing”, added the source.

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