Anxiety In FIRS As Fresh Redeployment Looms

There is anxiety among workers of the Federal Inland Revenue Service following fears that there may be another redeployment exercise among workers in the middle-level management cadre.

Top officials in the service told our correspondent on Monday that following the recent shake up which saw the redeployment of about 50 directors, the exercise might be extended to field operatives in sensitive areas.

The source who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not officially permitted to speak on the matter said that the thinking of management of the service was that there was a need for massive overhaul of the operational structure of the service.

This, according to him, is vital if the service is to achieve the about N8.5tn revenue target set for it by the Federal Government in the 2020 fiscal period.

Findings revealed that based on the agenda of the newly appointed FIRS boss, massive investment is being planned to improve staff capacity and operational processes.

This, according to investigation, is all geared towards a clear goal of generating and utilising relevant information for efficient revenue generation.

The source said, “You will recall that our new Executive Chairman, Muhammad Nami, in his Christmas message to members of staff of the FIRS raised some salient points and one of them has to do with the need to redouble our efforts to reverse the downward trend in revenue generation.

“As part of moves to achieve this objective, redeployment was made which affected those in the directorate cadre where over 50 of them were moved from one department to another.

“That may not be the end of the redeployment because there are feelers that some of us in the middle-level cadre would also be moved to various areas as part of a restructuring exercise in the service.

“So any moment from now, we might see that happening and this is why some of us are still being apprehensive because we don’t know what would happen next.”

When contacted, the Head, Communications and Servicom Department, FIRS, Mr Wahab Gbadamosi, described the shake-up as a routine exercise within the FIRS.

“There is nothing unusual about the transfers; it’s a normal routine exercise in the FIRS,” he said.

The FIRS chairman, had in his new year message to members of staff urged them to redouble their efforts by taking advantage of the current staff friendly environment.

He had warned against negotiating with tax payers and diverting tax revenue due to the Federal Government.