*No, we followed due process, says Nami
Disengaged Directors of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have described as “lies from the pit of hell” statements credited to the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Alhaji Muhammad Nami, stating that the principle of Federal Character was ensured in the appointment of new directors at FIRS.
They also challenged him to publish the states of origin and tribe of the personalities used to replace them as well as their academic qualifications.
The disengaged staff who dismissed claim by Nami that “individual competence and hard work on the job, and not on the basis of their tribal or religious affiliation”.
They pointed out that four contract staff who were recently appointed by NAMI (Ahmed Musa, Mustapha Ndajumo, Ahmed Ndanusa and Abdullah I Ismailla) are all of Nupe tribe, adding that they were named directors in breach of the constitution and the FIRS Establishment Act.
They asked Alhaji Nami to provide answers to the following questions if he claims to have followed due process in their retirement end replacement:
“Were the provisions of HRPP which he has been touting followed in these appointments? If there are no claims of tribalism in FIRS as stated, does the appointment of the four contract staff from Nupe represent Federal Character Policy of government?
“Were the appointment of these contract staff as directors transparent? Did they follow the Public Service procedure of advertising of vacancies, interviewing and recruitment?
“How does his argument of facilitating the progression of staff due to internal bottlenecks of long serving directors justify the appointment of four contract staff as directors instead of promoting staff from within?
“Did the retirement of the nine directors follow the approved guidelines suspending the eight-year tenure of directors as contained in the Presidential directive and HOS circular, as well as Internal HRPP which in part 1:8:2 clearly states that all extant policies and circulars of government shall be part of the HRPP and binding to the FIRS”?
They insisted that Alhaji Nami told a blatant lie as HRPP 2.22 stated clearly that appointment of contract staff can only be done for positions which there are no competent staff to occupy such.
But Nami had insisted that the appointments followed due process and did not violate any law, including Federal Character principle.
He also added that the FIRS Board too decision to retire all directors that had served for eight years and above on March 20, in line with Paragraph 10.1 (a)(iii) of the FIRS-HRPP and Section 7 of the Establishment Act, 2007.
The Chairman further stated that “the retirement and appointment of new directors was not done in secret or with ulterior motives”, adding that press statements of the retirement and appointments are in the public domain.
He further explained that “the current management team is composed of two Yoruba, two Igbo and two Northern minority tribes; and in all there are four Christians and three Muslims in the current FIRs Management Team”.
