A public advocacy group, Guardians of Truth, has dismissed recent calls by a federal lawmaker and some civil society organisations for the removal of the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji. The group described the demand as unfounded and a clear misinterpretation of the statutory responsibilities of the nation’s tax authority.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the group’s spokesperson, Clement Kolawole, said Adedeji remains fully committed to delivering the benefits of Nigeria’s new tax reforms, which are expected to ease the burden on citizens and eliminate multiple taxation for businesses from January.
Kolawole argued that the criticisms arose from a fundamental misunderstanding of the FIRS mandate, noting that the agency neither awards contracts nor handles payments to contractors. Its core functions, he said, are limited to assessing, collecting, and remitting tax revenues to the Federation Account.
“The fact that FIRS under Adedeji has consistently recorded strong revenue performance does not imply the funds are retained within the agency,” he explained. “A lawmaker should ordinarily know that about 70 per cent of the revenue shared monthly by the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) comes from the FIRS.”
He added that the distributable revenue at FAAC has steadily increased since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, a development, he said, has earned the administration commendation from across the political spectrum for stabilising public finances at both national and sub-national levels.
Kolawole stressed that the FIRS chairman remains undeterred by the calls for his sack, saying Adedeji is focused on ensuring that Nigerians and businesses fully enjoy the gains anticipated from the new tax laws through transparent, fair and efficient tax administration.
