Reps react as FIRS boss ignores 4th invitation
The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue, Mr. Zacch Adedeji, repeatedly refused to attend committee meetings despite invitations, according to the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee on Thursday.
Bamidele Salam, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), made this statement at the ongoing investigative hearing on income leakages in Abuja.
Remember, the committee previously stated that it may use its legal authority to issue an arrest warrant for any leader of a government department or agency who declines to attend its meeting while carrying out their supervisory duties.
During the occasion on Thursday, Salam expressed that this was the committee’s fourth attempt to invite the FIRS chairman, but he did not attend.According to him, while sending official written correspondence, we have also taken measures to personally deliver these letters to his physical mailbox and his WhatsApp number.
“We strongly denounce and characterise it as irresponsible and arrogant, and we explicitly warn him that there will be repercussions if he persists in showing disrespect towards the parliament.
“He stated that he had received many letters without any replies. Additionally, he mentioned that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had not collected the value-added tax on remittances as it should.
He asserts that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) should have received a portion of the value-added tax (VAT) that Remitta received.
However, he said that instead, they chose to combine the VAT and distribute it among the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the bank, and Remitta.
He stated that after they completed their reconciliation, the amount of money would reach hundreds of billions. He also mentioned that they had requested the FIRS to collect this amount, but they had declined to appear.
By Nnaemeka Odenigbo
