Buhari fails to renew Fowler’s tenure, names new FIRS chairman
by Oluseyi AwojulugbePresident Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Muhammad Nami to replace Babatunde Fowler as chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
Fowler, whose tenure ended on Monday, was confirmed for a four-year tenure by the senate on December 9, 2015.
He is expected to hand over to the most senior director on the board until the senate confirms Nami as FIRS chairman and the new board.
According to a statement by Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Nami is a tax, accounting and management professional with three decades of practical working experience in auditing, tax management and advisory and management services.
“He is an expert in rendering advisory support services to investors in respect of new business start-ups and management of existing businesses. He has also continuously rendered outsourced services to clients in trading, service and manufacturing sectors of the nation’s economy,” the statement read.
Muhammad Nami attended Bayero University Kano and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology (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.
Muhammad was appointed as a member of the presidential committee on audit of recovered stolen assets in November 2017.
The FIRS 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.