Federal Inland Revenue Service,
according to mischief makers. Yes, Fowler is a marked man. And he has played into
the hands of those eyeing his position.
For an
administration that vaunts its anti-corruption initiatives and achievements, the FIRS, under Fowler, has become the cesspit of
everything the Muhammadu Buhari administration abhors. Recently, the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested 40 senior and junior management staff, including the
Director of Finance, Mr. M. Auta, for an alleged N2.1billion scam purportedly siphoned
through alleged payment of Duty Tour Allowances (DTA) to the staff.
Some of the suspects were paid
as much as N101million among other eye-watering figures. The international passports of
10 of the officials were seized to restrict their movement to the country
pending investigation. For now, he can’t travel as investigations are
ongoing.
The EFCC said the officials, many of who are trusted and
loyal aides of Fowler, were arrested for “alleged inflation of Duty Tour Allowances,
humongous payments to staff, diversion of funds and outright stealing of public
funds.” It added that there was
information that some senior management officials were using their subordinates to siphon funds from the
accounts of the FIRS in the guise of travelling allowances. The practice was
that the funds were paid to the staff and after little deductions; the bulk of the money was
transferred to the senior management staff.
The EFCC stated, “As civil
servants, some of the suspects were paid as much as N101million, N97million,
N89million, N84million, N65million, N52million and N46million as Duty Tour
Allowances. There is no way a civil servant can earn about N101million in his
or her 35 years in service. In some instances, some staff claimed to have been
in Lagos, Sokoto, Calabar on the same day and collected DTA. Most of the DTA
allowances were actually not used for official purposes or public service. This is a case of stealing and money
laundering.”
It was further gathered that
the EFCC is closing in on several other senior officials of the revenue
collection service in a widening investigation to uncover other fraudulent
activities involving several billions of government tax revenues.
Indeed, Fowler has been running
from pillar to post, consulting and reaching out to the powers that be to ensure that whatever happens, he is returned to the lucrative
position but sources say he may not find favour in the president who has been
inundated with tales of Fowler’s lifestyle.
From his days as chairman of
the Lagos Inland Revenue Service, LIRS, Fowler has been regarded as a socialite
with a deep pocket; a large heart and a penchant for making the dreams of many people to become car owners come true. But the arrest of his boys took a
toll on Fowler so
much that he was a shadow of himself when his daughter, Olufunke Leila, got
married for the second time to banker Aigbovbioise Aig-Imoukhuede weeks back.
Though a jolly good fellow who
never misses an opportunity to gather his friends for some champagnes and cognacs, Fowler looked morose for the
most part of his daughter’s wedding ceremonies.
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