Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Muhammad Nami
By Our Reporter
Top echelons of the Presidential Villa, Abuja are stiff worried over the crisis currently rocking the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS). The crisis which has created a lot of tension within the FIRS has to do with the Nigeria Civil Service Union branch in the FIRS and the Chairman of the FIRS, Muhammad Nami,.
The former accused the latter of failing to pay the promotion arrears of over 2,000 employees.
On account of this, the union has concluded arrangements to stage peaceful protests at FIRS offices across the country.
This much was revealed by the Chairman of the union, Mr Abdulrahman Idris.
In a bid to checkmate the protests, the FIRS had on Monday announced the dissolution of the union, insisting that the union was illegal because it contravened Gazette No. 6, Vol 65, dated February 8, 1978 and a National Industrial Court Judgement dated June 27, 1995.
A move described by Idris as illegal, adding that Nami was only upset because the union was fighting for the rights of the employees and had refused to bend to the will of the management.
He said, “We will challenge the so-called dissolution. The chairman has no power to proscribe any union. The FIRS is a public entity. The chairman told the public that the FIRS had surpassed its target and it is a tradition that at the end of every year, workers are appreciated through the payment of bonuses but he has failed to appreciate the staff.
“Also, we have promotion arrears of 2019 and 2020 and management has refused to say if arrears will be paid or not. We have a 2021 promotion exercise around the corner so there is carryover. The chairman doesn’t embrace career progression. He pays contractors but doesn’t pay staff entitlements.
“There are about 2,000 that should benefit from the promotion arrears of 2019 and 2020. They saw me as a threat because I demanded it and they decided to proscribe the union. Our national body including the Nigeria Labour Congress have taken up the matter.”
The union leader alleged that the FIRS attempted to use the police to arrest him last Friday, but he escaped after a tip-off. He accused the management of threatening his life.
“We have sent directives to all 36 states of the federation that by July 26, we will picket all FIRS offices,” Idris said.
In a related development, the National Industrial Court, Abuja Judicial Division has stopped the National Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) from either picketing the offices of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) nationwide or calling for a strike at any of the Service’s offices across Nigeria.
According to a statement issued on Friday by Director, Communications and Liaison Department, FIRS, Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, Justice O. Y. Anuwe issued the order of interim injunction on Friday in a suit which the FIRS as Claimant/Applicant instituted against NCSU, the Defendant/Respondent.
The court ordered that “the Respondents are restrained from picketing the offices of the applicant on 26th July 2021 or any other day pending the determination of the Motion on Notice. They are also restrained from going on strike, as by so doing, the very essence of the substantive suit is defeated. What this translates to in other words is that parties are to maintain the status quo, and are not to do anything that may be detrimental to the interest of the public, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice. The order to maintain status-quo however binds both parties in this suit.”
In another suit, NINC/ABJ/157/2021 in which the NCSU issuing the FIRS, the court refused the prayer of the NCSU seeking an order compelling the FIRS to continue the automatic deduction of check-off dues for the NCSU, which is a defunct union at the FIRS, from the salaries of the Service’s workers. The two cases were adjourned to 15 October 2021 for a hearing of the motion on notice and originating summons.
The statement further clarified that “the right of workers to decide which union to belong is not absolute but must be exercised within the limits of Trade Unions Act CAP T14 LFN 2004. This position was confirmed in the Judgment of the National Industrial Court – NCSU vs ASCSN (2004) 1NLLR Part 3, 427.
“In the light of all the above, The FIRS Board at its Meeting No. 30 held on the 24th June 2021, therefore, directed that given items 1 & 2 above, the activities of NCSU FIRS Unit in the Service are henceforth considered illegal and the Union (NCSU FIRS Unit) is hereby proscribed with immediate effect.
“The Management also assured staff that it is unreservedly willing to work and cooperate with the only legitimate representatives of staff, that is to say, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria. Accordingly, staff were called upon to redouble their efforts in executing the FIRS mandate of assessing, collecting and accounting for tax revenue for all levels of government as contained in the FIRS Establishment Act (2007).”
