FIRS Chairman: Buhari Makes Fresh Appointment As Fowler’s Tenure Ends
by Donatus Anichukwueze
President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Muhammad M. Nami to replace Babatunde Fowler as the chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
A statement by the Presidency said that Fowler, whose tenure expired today 9 December, 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.
Nami’s nomination was conveyed in a letter Buhari sent to the Senate on the composition of a new board for the revenue agency.
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.
Nami, according to the statement, is “a well-trained Tax, Accounting and Management professional with highly rated qualifications and professional practice and licenses from relevant professional bodies”.
He 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 organisations.
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.
Nami has served and is still serving, on many companies’ Board and Statutory Board Audit Committees. He was appointed as a member, Presidential Committee on Audit of Recovered Stolen Assets in November 2017 by President Buhari.