By Chika Otuchikere
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has denied reports claiming that one of its staff tested positive to the Coronavirus.
FIRS Director of Communication, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmed made this known in a statement at the weekend which he said no staff of FIRS tested positive to the disease.
Ahmad, however, confirmed that a member of staff went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad and is currently and voluntarily self-isolation alongside his spouse.
“The attention of the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Muhammad Nami and the Management of the Service has been drawn to the fake news making the rounds on Social Media that a member of staff at the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19.
“The Service hereby states unequivocally that no member of staff at the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19 as being peddled on Social Media.
“The Service can confirm that a member of staff who went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad is currently and voluntarily observing the Federal Government advisory of self-isolation alongside his spouse at the couple’s home since Monday.
“Both husband and wife have not visited any FIRS offices or events since the wife retuned to Nigeria last Sunday.
“More importantly, both husband and wife have only been in self-isolation for five days and have not tested positive to Covid-19.
“Before now, all FIRS offices have taken necessary precautions to protect both Staff and our esteemed taxpayers from Covid-19 through such safety measures as social distancing, temperature testing, disabling of the biometric sign in, and provision of hand sanitizers for staff and visitors to our offices nationwide as advised by the Federal Ministry of Health,” Ahmad stated.
He urged members of the public to discountenance the claim that an FIRS official has tested positive to Covid-19.
