An unexpected scandal is rocking the Federal Inland Revenue Service,FIRS headquarters in Abuja.The trouble about to blow open may even culminate in some drivers staging a protest against the leadership of Alhaji Kabir Mohammed Mashi the acting Chairman ,FIRS.
But Mashi may be having more troubles to worry about than a looming protest by drivers, according to informed sources.It is Mashi’s attempt to sack drivers who are contract staff of the organization that has blown the lid over a scam which is now threatening some topshots.
The acting chairman was alleged to have asked a senior official(names withheld ) to do a memo sacking the contract staff of the contract staff.But the official who possibly smelt a rat ,asked a vital question:a source said the official told Mashi he would only append his signature to such a memo sacking the contract staff if the drivers’ outstanding wages were paid.
Insiders said officials at FIRS have discovered that contract workers were being paid just 50% of their entitlement for nearly three years,contrary to what is believed to be theamount apprpoved by the FIRS board about three years ago .The FIRS board was said to have approved N100,000 as the monthly salary for each drivers.But sources claim that not all of the drivers have gotten the approved wages.
While drivers who are considered permanent workers are paid about N96,000 per month, (perhaps minus for taxes),the contract staff initially received only N45,000 each.The contract drivers’ wage was increased to N50,000 per month.By implication, each driver has been paid N50,000 less than the approved wage.But there is the question ,where has the outstanding wage meant for contract staff gone to all these years?
Convinced that there has been an outstanding wage bill which ought to be paid to the drivers on contract service, this top official refused to pen a memo sacking them.The official is said to have insisted that the outstanding wage which is about N1.2 billion be produced and given to the contact workers since it is their entitlement.
This crisis is said to have led to serious disagreement among the topshots of the service .At some point the recalcitrant official was allegedly threatened with a sack after some interventions and attempts to get him softpedal failed.
Newsdiaryonline.com learnt that the official too has threatened to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC if any measures are taken against him.One point of disagreement ,it was learnt was that the top official is opposed to an attempt to raise the outstanding money from the FIRS purse .
Attempt to speak with the official in the eye of the storm failed as he did not answer the call to his number.