The claim by a political activist that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) supported the`All Progressives Congress (APC) through Vice President Yemi Osinbajo with N90 billion for the 2019 national elections is a big, fat lie, FIRS has counter-claimed.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, in a statement in Abuja on Monday said the the ongoing travails of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is allegedly due to corruption which has nothing to do with 2023 politics.
Frank, claimed he has reliable information from unnamed sources in the Presidency that Osinbajo’s travails has nothing to do with a presidential ambition in 2023, but alleged mismanagement of about N90 billion released by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to prosecute the last general elections in favour of the APC.
FIRS, in a statement by spokesman, Wahab Gbadamosi, has demanded an unequivocal apology from Frank and a well publicised apology in three leading newspapers within the next 24 hours; or it will pursue claims for aggravated damages in libel and injurious falsehood against him.
Frank had said: “The Presidency discovered how Osinbajo allegedly mismanaged N90billion from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
“When confronted by the Presidency, he confirmed to General Buhari that he indeed allegedly took N90billion from FIRS but it was used for the 2019 presidential election campaign in strategic states of the South-west.
“Gen Buhari asked for a breakdown of how the money was spent and he said he gave N11 billion to Lagos state APC leader but when the said national leader and one former APC chairman were invited for explanation, it was confirmed that Osinbajo gave only N5billion and not N11billion to Lagos state.
“The cabal is asking to know how come they beat PDP in the South-west with less than 60,000 votes if the money was actually spent in the strategic states of the South-west as allegedly claimed.”
But FIRS stated that the entire allegation is mendacious, wicked, malicious and a calculated attempt to smear the image of the Service and Yemi Osinbajo.
“This campaign of calumny and villifying false claims are entirely, libellous, unfounded in fact, irresponsible and a brazen assault on the integrity of the Service as a responsible and accountable
organisation and demonstrates an abysmal ignorance of the budgetary and expenditure process of the FIRS,” it added.
FIRS states further:
▪That in the last four years since Mr. Tunde Fowler has supervised operations at the FIRS, the agency had not received up to N100 billion per annum, as Cost of Collection from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC. FAAC is a public institution, whose records are open to the public.
▪That it is from the remittances from FAAC—which had never grossed up to N100 billion per annum, that FIRS pays the salary and emoluments and trains it’s over 8000 staff, runs over 150 offices and provides for other needs of the Service.
▪That given the above, it is not plausible nor does it make sense that FIRS will commit its resources to a phantom campaign of N90 billion as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank and FIRS does not fund political associations.
▪That FIRS is a creation of statute and its activities are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and financials regulations and thus, IT IS NOT PLAUSIBLE, that its funds could be expended in such a cavalier manner as suggested by Mr. Timi Frank.
▪That FIRS Budget and expenditure approval processes pass through the Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance, before such are presented to the National Assembly for Appropriation into Law. The National Assembly committees, consisting of all parties and inclinations exercise oversight function on all agencies of the Federal Government to ensure agencies keep to the letters of the Appropriation Act. Thus FIRS’ operations are subjected to scrutiny and close monitoring by the National Assembly, the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee and the Ministry of Finance.
▪It is therefore unthinkable, malicious and irresponsible for the said Frank to insinuate or infer that N90 billion or any part thereof could be spent illegally and without budgetary approval.
▪It is equally alarming to note that this injurious falsehood and blackmail could find space in our mass media without proper scrutiny particularly with the availability of the Freedom of Information Act, which broadly allows Nigerians access to information on expenditure of public funds by government agencies. This all goes to show an orchestrated and invidious decision by paid agents to discredit the Service in order to achieve their diabolical ends, which is at variance from the interest of Nigerians.
▪We ask members of the public to ignore the claims of Mr. Timi Frank, with the ignominy it deserves as the former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC is seeking for cheap popularity and relevance.
▪This invidious publication is targeted as derailing the revenue generation efforts for the three tiers of government in the nation. This is calculated economic sabotage and hereby referred to the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation officially.
▪We finally wish to assure all Nigerians that the FIRS did not spend and could not have spent taxpayers money for political ends. For the avoidance of doubt, every kobo paid by taxpayers goes straight to the Federation Account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria and that the FIRS does not possess the constitutional right to touch the said account or appropriate any kobo there from to itself.
▪The FIRS wishes to reassure members of the public that the FIRS is a public trust, which the agency operates on behalf of Nigerians. Taxpayers money-including the operational funds of the Service- are sacred. FIRS remains committed to public accountability and transparency in the sacred mandate of tax collection and public expenditure.
Frank insisted that if the information he put in the public domain is true, Osinbajo must resign as Vice President, likening it to the activities of ‘yahoo boys.’
Frank said since the former National Security Adviser, Colenel Sambo Dasuki is being held on allegations of embezzlement he and Osinbajo “should be given the same treatment.”
“This goes to confirm the NEMA case against Osinbajo concerning the N5billion that he was alleged to have siphoned.
“The ball is in Gen Buhari’s court to show Nigerians that he supports corruption from his cabinet members and do nothing or he is indeed truly fighting corruption and therefore force him to resign.
“No wonder the fight against corruption under this administration is not yielding positive results as expected,” he added.
Frank wondered why Osinbajo would always be the first to brand people like Bukola Saraki and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan with corruption “whereas he is the chairman of ‘yahoo yahoo’ in Nigeria.
“How do we expect the ‘yahoo boys’ to change when the VP is their chairman? Nigerians must not feel sorry for Osibanjo as the time to pay for his yahoo yahoo activities has come.
While calling on Nigerians to ignore the claim that Osinbajo is being witch-hunted by the cabal, Frank said: “If Osinbajo is investigated, Nigerians will be shocked to find more revelation about his activities.
“If he fails to resign, the National Assembly must begin the process of impeachment against him as a matter of urgency to prove to Nigerians that 9th Assembly is not a rubber stamp of the executive.
“Finally, I call on Osinbajo to immediately apologise to God for his ‘yahoo yahoo’ behavior and repent otherwise he will be disgraced out of office.”
