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.