Chairman FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami
By Our Reporter
Majority of Nigerians have criticized the notice that emanated from the Federal Inland Revenue Service that all account holders in financial institutions (Banks, Insurance Companies, etc) are required to obtain, complete and submit Self – Certification Forms to their respective Financial Institutions.
The FIRS came under heavy criticism on Thursday, following this notice, enjoining Nigerians with bank accounts to do “self certification”.
These furiously angry Nigerians are of the view that the The Bank Verification Number commonly called BVN, a biometric identification system implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria to curb or reduce illegal banking transactions in Nigeria has all the information required by the government .
These aggrieved Nigerians termed the exercise as a waste of time. They argued that apart from the BVN, the government can acess their information via National ID Card, Voters Card and Drivers Licence.
They described the exercise as stressful and unnecessary.
It will be recalled that a notice, which came from Federal Inland Revenue Service that ” all account holders in Financial Institutions (Banks, Insurance Companies, etc) are required to obtain, complete and submit Self – Certification Forms to their respective Financial Institutions.
“Persons holding accounts in different financial institutions is required to complete & submit the form to each one of the institutions. The forms are required by the relevant financial institutions to carry out due diligence procedures in line with the Income Tax Regulations 2019.
“The self-certification form is in 3 categories:
– Form for Entity
– For Controlling Person (Individuals having controlling interest in a legal person, trustee, etc)
– Form for individual
“Failure to comply with the requirement to administer or execute this form attracts sanctions which may include monetary penalty or inability to operate the account. For more enquiries visit
@firsNigeria website (http://firs.gov.ng) for more details.”
The notice triggered many angry reactions from Nigerians.
Efforts by our reporter to make the Director, Communications and Liaison Department of FIRS, Mr. Abdullahi Ismailia Ahmed react to the development was unsuccessful, as he was yet to respond to our enquiries as at the time of filling this report.
Here are some of the reactions:
One commenter tagged the WHO, drawing attention to the implication of conforming with the FIRS directive:
The person got a response~:
JJ Omojuwa: If there was something called “Bank Verification Number” that would have totally made this whole procedure unnecessary. But since BVN is alien to human civilisation, let’s do something that looks almost like it. To be frank, this is such an innovative and extraordinary government.
Do they even understand the number of years wasted in working hours when they set up these things? Like, does anyone even bother about Nigeria’s productivity when they raise these ISLAGIATT Ideas that repeatedly send Nigerians spending their lives queuing for the same things?
See JJ. Omojuwa’s other Tweets
ons which may include monetary penalty or inability to operate the account. For more enquiries visit @firsNigeria website (firs.gov.ng) for more details.
Hello you have to see this, @WHO See what the Nigeria government is doing, asking all bank account holders to go fill forms manually in the banks, when there is already a Bank Verification System in place!!! And this, in a PANDEMIC!!!!!!! IS @NGRPresident AWARE???
See the latest COVID-19 information on Twitter
It seems to me as if these people have lost the initial data we gave them , and indirectly asking us to repeat the whole process again National ID | BVN
Failure to comply with the requirement to administer or execute this form attracts sanctions which may include monetary penalty or inability to operate the account. For more enquiries visit @firsNigeria website (firs.gov.ng) for more details.
You people are clueless and very insensitive. We should go crowd up the banks in this Covid era. It’s like the masses are too tolerant and peaceful for you, so you just keep pushing us here and there. When you push the masses to the wall, be ready for what comes.
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Replying to @NigeriaGov and @firsNigeria
Hello you have to see this, @WHO See what the Nigeria government is doing, asking all bank account holders to go fill forms manually in the banks, when there is already a Bank Verification System in place!!! And this, in a PANDEMIC!!!!!!! IS @NGRPresident AWARE???
You’ve not been told to go and queue anywhere. It’s left for the Banks to device ways of doing it. Such forms could be made available online.
See Olaide Kayode E.’s other Tweets
Failure to comply with the requirement to administer or execute this form attracts sanctions which may include monetary penalty or inability to operate the account. For more enquiries visit @firsNigeria website (firs.gov.ng) for more details.
Shey na fight? Sometimes you honestly can’t help but agree with those who say this gov’t don’t have mercy & consideration for the poor, how much i dey get that you’re threatening me with sanction over tax i’m already paying thru my nose for corrupt officials to embezzle..
See محمد راجي بن عبدالله المويى’s other Tweets
Replying to @NigeriaGov and @firsNigeria
What was all the stress for BVN, if you can’t connect needed information from BVN? Duplicity is a sign of ineptitude, inefficiency, wastage(time and funds). Please fold shop, if you want to take us on merry-go-round again. #Enough of duplicity and wastage
This is to avoid stories like “the account is not mine or someone opened it on my behalf earing my name”. By filling it, it can be used in court based on the person owns declaration. It’s just like an asset declaration. You declare it and later it will be check and reconcile.
17 people are Tweeting about this
Failure to comply with the requirement to administer or execute this form attracts sanctions which may include monetary penalty or inability to operate the account. For more enquiries visit @firsNigeria website (firs.gov.ng) for more details.
What was all the stress for BVN, if you can’t connect needed information from BVN? Duplicity is a sign of ineptitude, inefficiency, wastage(time and funds). Please fold shop, if you want to take us on merry-go-round again. #Enough of duplicity and wastage
