President Buhari has rejected the reappointment of Babatunde
Fowler as the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and appointed Muhammad Nami as
Fowler’s successor.
Fowler, who is a childhood friend and former classmate of
Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, was appointed as FIRS chairman on August 20th
2015. He was confirmed by the Senate on December 9th 2015. Fowlers tenure of four years, though
renewable on the discretion of the President, expired today Monday December
9th.
A statement by the Presidency says Nami’s nomination has
been conveyed in a letter sent to the Senate on the composition of a new board
for the revenue agency. According to the statement, Nami is a well-trained Tax,
Accounting and Management professional with highly rated qualifications and
professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies”.
He has almost three decades of practical working experience in
Auditing, Tax Management and Advisory and Management services to clients in the
banking, manufacturing, services and public sectors as well as non- profit
organisations.
He attended Bayero University Kano and Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology (1991) and
a Masters of Business degree (2004) respectively. He is a fellow of Chartered
Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, Institute of Debt Recovery Practitioners of
Nigeria and Associate Member of Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered)
and Association of National Accountants of Nigeria.
He started his career with PFK in 1993 and rose to the
position of a senior Consultant in charge of Tax management and advisory
services. He is currently the managing consultant of Manam Professional
Services (Chartered Tax Practitioners and Business Advisers) based in Kaduna,
Abuja, Niger State.
Mr Muhammad has served, and is still serving, on many
companies’ Board and Statutory Board Audit Committees. He was appointed as a
member, Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November,
2017 by President Buhari.
He is married and has children.
Babatunde Fowler is expected to hand over to the most senior
director on the board, who will take charge, pending the senate confirmation of
the new board.
