Adedapo Adesanya
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has fired back at the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) over which of the two government agencies collects stamp duties.
Last Tuesday, the FIRS’s Director of Communication and Liaison, Mr Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, while responding to tweets by Chairperson of the board of NIPOST, Mrs Maimuna Abubakar, said the tax agency was more than ever determined to ensure that all monies collected by NIPOST into its “illegally” operated Stamp Duties Account were fully remitted into the federation account.
But in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja by the General Manager, Corporate Communications, NIPOST, Mr Franklin Alao, the postal organisation disputed claims made by the tax body that it will ensure that any kobo not accounted for in that account is legally recovered in line with the charge of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.
Mr Alao explained that the account in question was opened by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in consultation with the office of Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), in the name of NIPOST Stamp Duties Collection Account when CBN gave instruction to Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) to commence the deduction of N50 stamp duties from bank customers accounts.
He stated that the account belongs to the Nigeran government, adding that NIPOST does not have access to whatsoever monies lodged into the account, as such the question of illegality and misappropriation does not arise.
Mr Alao insisted that under the extant laws of Nigeria, NIPOST Act 2004 provides and vest solely in NIPOST the power to print adhesive postage stamps, which is the instrument for denoting documents and other transaction instruments in compliance with the provisions of the Stamp Duties Act.
“Historically, the post in Nigeria, just like in the comity of nations, has at different times produced adhesive postage stamps and revenue stamps for the federal government.
“It is to this end that NIPOST seeks the proper implementation of the Finance Act. NIPOST is therefore taken aback when FIRS took to the Twitter to call out the Chairman, NIPOST Board, Barrister Maimuna Yaya Abubakar, who only tried to bring the attention of the Service and public that NIPOST would be emasculated if the Act is not properly implemented.
“More so when there was a meeting between FIRS and NIPOST in July 2013 in the office of the Executive Chairman of FIRS and resolution reached that NIPOST is statutory duty-bound to provide the stamps to be used by FIRS at both federal and state levels. We wish to reassure members of the public that NIPOST as a responsible government institution has always operated within the ambit of the law.
“We, therefore, urge the general public to disregard the statement credited to the Director, Communication and Liaison, FIRS on the issue,” he said.
The two government agencies had in recent times engaged each other in media war over whose responsibility it is to collect the Stamp Duty charge for the government.
This kick-started when Mrs Maimuna Abubakar, in her tweets last Sunday alleged that FIRS was stealing NIPOST idea.
She said NIPOST was saddled with the responsibility of printing and providing postage stamps for payment of postage tariff and payment of stamp duties by the decree No. 18 of 1987.
