Buhari Nominates Muhammad Nami As New FIRS Boss

By Akinwale Kasali

Following the non-renewal of Babatunde Fowler’s term as the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of a new board for the FIRS, subject to Senate confirmation.

The President nominated a renowned tax consultant, Muhammad M. Nami as the new chairman.

The board is composed of a member representing each of the six geographical zones and statutory representatives from a select number of ministries and government agencies.

In a statement released by the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, he said President Buhari has named Muhammad Nami as Fowler’s replacement.  Shehu described him as “a well-trained Tax, Accounting and Management professional with highly rated qualifications and professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies,  and 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 organizations.”

Shehu stressed further that the new Chairman of the FIRS is an expert in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new business start-ups and management of existing businesses, and has also continuously rendered outsourced services to clients in trading, service and manufacturing sectors of the nation’s economy.

Nami attended Bayero University Kano and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in 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.

Nami was appointed as a member, Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November 2017 by President Buhari.

Immediate Past Chairman of FIRS, Fowler, whose term of office expired on Monday, 9th December, 2019  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.