Dr. Zacch Adedeji, Chairman, FIRS Chairman
The Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, remains focused on delivering the benefits of Nigeria’s new tax reforms, particularly broad reliefs for citizens and the elimination of multiple taxation for businesses, despite recent calls for his removal.
This assurance was given by the Guardian of Truth, a civic advocacy group, in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Mr. Clement Kolawole.
According to Kolawole, the demand by a federal lawmaker, supported by some civil society organisations, for the dismissal of the Minister of Finance and the FIRS Chairman over alleged unpaid obligations to contractors was not only “misguided” but also demonstrated a fundamental misunderstanding of FIRS’ mandate.
He explained that the revenue agency is neither responsible for processing nor paying contractors, stressing that its statutory role is limited to assessing, collecting, and accounting for tax revenue accruing to the federation.
Kolawole noted that FIRS’ consistently strong revenue performance under Adedeji should not be misconstrued as the agency keeping custody of funds.
“About 70 per cent of what is shared monthly at the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meetings by the federal, state, and local governments comes from FIRS collections,” he said, adding that monthly FAAC allocations have continued to rise since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
He highlighted that the improved revenue inflow has been widely acknowledged across the political spectrum, with even opposition figures praising the administration for restoring fiscal stability nationally and at the subnational level.
“The FIRS Chairman is not distracted by such calls,” Kolawole stressed. “He remains committed to ensuring that Nigerians and businesses fully benefit from the new tax laws taking effect in January, through transparent, fair, and efficient tax administration.”
The statement underscores ongoing national concerns about fiscal discipline, tax reform implementation, and the persistent confusion surrounding institutional mandates in Nigeria’s public finance sector.
