Group files petition against new FIRS chair for holding three public offices same time

The acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zaccheus Adedeji, has been accused of holding on to two other public offices: Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council and Senior Special Adviser to the President on Revenue.

The petition said the decision of Adedeji to relinquish the other two positions were in clear breach of extant laws.

He was equally accused in the petition of granting civil service extension to the Director of Finance and Accounts of the National Sugar Development Council and DFA of the Shippers Council, Auwalu Shira, who has retired from office since year 2021.

The petition was sent to President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly.

Facts of the petition indicated that Adedeji was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the National Sugar Development Council March 10, 2021.

“However, on 15th of June, 2023, he was appointed Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on Revenue, which required him to resign from being ES of the Council since he could not lawfully hold two (2) public offices concurrently. Later, yet, he was appointed the Acting Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on 15th September. 2023,” the petition stated.

The petition added: “On the other hand Auwal Abubakar Shira, who was the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) of the National Sugar Development Council in 2021, was due to retire on the 11th September, 2021.

“Nevertheless, the former ES of the Council, without lawful authority or approval, extended the service years of the DFA beyond his retirement date for one (1) year, from 11th September, 2021 to 10th September, 2022.

“Upon expiration, the former ES again, without lawful authority, further extended the retirement date from 11th September 2022 to 10th September 2023.

“The above notwithstanding, the DFA has remained in office without extension of his service years since the second extension unlawfully granted to him elapsed on 11th September, 2023.

“Worse yet, the former Executive Secretary of the Council, who ought to have vacated the position since 15th of June, 2023, when he was appointed SA to the President is allegedly scheming the unlawful further extension of the service years of the DFA or his appointment of the new Executive Secretary.”

The petition, written by a group of lawyers on behalf of a client of theirs, further said: “To the best of our client’s knowledge, the former Executive Secretary and the DFA are scheming to further extend the tenure of the DFA in gross violation of the NSDC Act and the PSR which determines the tenure of the Council’s staff.

“Furthermore, they are doing so without seeking for and obtaining relevant approval from appropriate authorities. “Worse yet, they are doing these at the expense of and to the detriment of other staff of the Council who are eminently qualified to fill the position, while impeding their career growth and development.

“Besides the alleged illegal extension of the tenure of the Director, they both did not comply with elementary Public Service Rules which regulate the re-engagement of retired public servants through Contract ‘on grade levels below that on which they retired.

“Therefore, if the Council had dire need to re-engage the retired DFA on contract, he (has) only to be re- engaged as Deputy Director not in the manner done herein for twenty-four (24) months by the former Executive Secretary.”

The petitioners requested that Shira should be caused to immediately vacate the position of Director Finance of the NSDC since his retirement date became effective on September 11, 2021, that he should immaculately return all the emoluments and allowances paid to him from September 12, 2021 till date since his retirement from service became effective from the earlier date, and that he should immediately return all NSDC property in his possession, which he ought to have handed over.

The Eagle Online