Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Muhammad Nami, has denied allegations of tribalism and ethnicity in the agency.
Nami, who spoke while reacting to the alleged removal of some directors on tribal and ethnic grounds, said that the exercise was done according to the laws of the country.
In a statement by FIRS Director of Communication and Liaison, Abdullahi Ahmad, Nami said, “The FIRS is one national institution which any Nigerian is assured of rising to the very top in hierarchy based on his or her individual competence and hard work on the job, and not on the basis of any tribal or religious affiliation. 
“If any FIRS worker had been a victim of tribalism or religious discrimination in the past, I say to such marginalised worker: Not anymore and not on my watch at the FIRS.
“The Federal Inland Revenue Service wishes to clarify that the recent staff retirement exercise which affected nine directors was done in full compliance with the law and in the best interest of the service and the country, contrary to insinuations in a section of the media.
“The Board of the Federal Inland Revenue Service in a meeting held on Friday, March 20, 2020 took the decision and approved that all directors who had served in the FIRS for eight years and above should be retired. 
“The FIRS board took that decision in line with Paragraph 10.1(a)(iii) of Human Resources Policy and Programmes (HRPP) of the FIRS after considering a number of career progression complaints by some staff in the service.
“Worthy of note is that FIRS Establishment Act, 2007, Section 7 empowers the FIRS board to take certain far-reaching decisions in the interest of the service and by extension the country.
“The retirement of the directors was a selfless and courageous decision taken in compliance with the laws. It was done in good faith and in the best interest of the service.”
