Immediate Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Tunde Fowler, has handed over to the coordinating director of the domestic taxes group, Abiodun Aina.
Aina will run the affairs of FIRS pending confirmation of Muhammad Nami’s appointment by the Nigerian Senate.
President Muhammadu Buhari had nominated Nami as Fowler’s replacement following the expiration of his tenure.
Fowler during a handover ceremony on Monday thanked Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve the nation.
He said, “I would like you to keep the flag flying, but I hope that sometime when I visit, my picture will be somewhere on the wall.
“For those of you we are leaving behind, I don’t want to get too scriptural. But I believe that anything that you do, that helps your fellow human being, your neighbour is a blessing. And I believe that this job that we have been given is a job that will continue to help all Nigerians and all people residing in Nigeria.
“There is nothing automatic about having a second term. Some of you might say it’s a big surprise. It’s a privilege to serve one’s country. And if you have the privilege of serving your country for one term and you believe you have done your best, you have to thank God for that.
“With change, sometimes there is resistance. People will not understand the vision, will not understand the reason for the change. But hope in leaving FIRS, I’ve left behind something, something, positive, that each and every one of you can build on.”
In addition, Fowler noted that the mandate of the tax agency is not just to collect revenue.
“We have got a mandate. That mandate is not just to collect revenue. It’s a mandate to collect the maximum amount of revenue for all concerned for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“We have the opportunity to show the world that Nigeria has a lot to offer. It was during this period that we had a top director, representing Nigeria and the world at the OECD. It was within this period that Nigeria, for the first time chaired ATAF (African Tax Administration Forum), for two years running.
“It was within this period that Nigeria through your support was appointed as the 1st vice-chairman of the United Nations committee of tax experts,” he said.
