We will meet in court, Frank tells Revenue Service as PDP weighs in

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for a system-wide investigation into the alleged siphoning of N90 billion from the coffers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in which Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have been mentioned.

The opposition party’s expected involvement comes as the man who started the controversy, Timi Frank, has dared the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to take him to court as it has threatened to if he failed to publicly apologise by Tuesday.

A FIRS source confirmed the legal outlet to thrash out the allegation is in the works.

Frank on Monday accused the FIRS of funding the last general election by allegedly releasing N90 billion to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo in support of the APC campaigns.

On Tuesday, Frank said: “I read the statement by the Federal Inland Revenue Service and I am rather disappointed at their intellectual laziness.

“Who is the FIRS trying to fool by claiming that their annual subvention is not up to a N100 billion? That is an unintelligent attempt to fool the public.

“The FIRS, like the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Securities and Exchange Commission are revenue generating agencies of the Federal Government that do not depend on budgetary subventions.

“These agencies are able to appropriate huge funds from the monies they generate for their use.”

“For example, on January 7, 2019, the Federal Inland Revenue Service announced that it had broken Nigeria’s all-time revenue generation record, by generating N5.3trillion in 2018.

“However, on 18th August, 2019, the FIRS’ boss was queried for poor performance and under remittances to the Federation Account by the Chief of Staff to General Muhammadu Buhari, Mr. Abba Kyari.

“Kyari’s letter to the FIRS’s boss, Tunde Fowler, was to the intent that the reported ‘record breaking’ revenue the agency claimed to have generated was in reality not up to the revenues generated in the previous Peoples Democratic Party-led administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The query, which was widely published in all newspapers and online media channels, was as a result of the N90billion that the FIRS illegally funneled to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for the 2019 elections which led to the shortfall.

“The FIRS should bury their head in the mud and apologise to Nigerians for aiding and abetting corruption,” he said.

He called on the anti-corruption agencies to arrest and prosecute the leadership of the Service for aiding and abetting corruption.

He said: “The big question is: what is responsible for the discrepancy? These are questions that the FIRS should be explaining to Nigerians rather than trying to be clever by half in claiming that they do not get up to N100 billion per annum, when in fact they expend 50 times that amount.

“I therefore call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the leadership of the FIRS for fraud and money laundering.”

“I stand by my statement and I am not going to tender any apology to FIRS. They are the ones to apologize to Nigerians for illegally spending taxpayers’ money on elections.

“I cannot be intimidated by threats. I am prepared to meet them in court. Why are they crying more than the bereaved if they have nothing to hide?

“Why did they decide to respond on behalf of the Vice President, who is the main issue here? Is the FIRS now Osinbajo’s mouthpiece?”

On its part, the PDP noted that the shocking allegation borders on gross misconduct and breach of public trust.

It rejected what it described as the flimsy denials and threats being pushed through the FIRS as a belated attempt at cover-up by persons close to the Presidency.