Stamp Duty: ‘FIRS Stole Our Mandate, Has No Right To Sell Or Produce Stamps’ – NIPOST Board Chairman Cries Out
Maimuna Abubakar, board chairman of the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), has accused the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) of stealing the agency’s mandate.
This further heightens the contention that has been between the FIRS and NIPOST over which agency is the rightful custodian of stamp duty following the implementation of the Stamp Duty Act.
The FIRS, in a recently released circular, said it now has a portal for automated stamp duty collection where all stamp duty paying citizens, government agencies, institutions, and private organisations are to log into and pay stamp duties — a claim NIPOST opposed.
NIPOST insists that it is empowered to print, mint, produce, retail, and provide adhesive postage stamps and not FIRS.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Abubakar expressed worry over the “take over” of NIPOST’s mandate by FIRS.
The board chairman asked the public to intervene in the contention between both agencies.
Her tweet reads;
I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless night because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid, FIRS stole our mandate.
I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless night because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid, FIRS stole our mandate..#justicefornipost
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
She added;
FIRS are now selling stamps instead of buying from us. What is happening, are we expected to keep quite and let FIRS kill and bury NIPOST? We need to get our mandate back.
What is happening, are we expected to keep quite and let FIRS kill and bury NIPOST?
We need to get our mandate back #justicefornipost— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
According to her, NIPOST are the sole custodians of national stamps, therefore another agency printing and selling stamps is against the law of the land.
NIPOST are the sole custodians of national stamps, another agency printing and selling stamps is against the law of the land #justicefornipost.
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
Abubakar alleged that FIRS did not only steal stamp duty but ideas that NIPOST has worked on since 2016.
FIRS did not only steal our stamps but also our ideas, what NIPOST had worked for since 2016, our documents, patent and sneaked everything into finance bill and tactically removed the name of NIPOST #justicefornipost
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
She reiterated that NIPOST is the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the purchase of such stamp.
I like to make this clear, NIPOST is the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the for the purchase of such stamp accrues to NIPOST #justicefornipost
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
The board chairman noted that there is no mandate in FIRS act that allows the agency to produce or sell stamps.
There is no where in FIRS act or stamp duty act where it’s so stated that FIRS can produce stamp or sale stamp #justicefornipost
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
She revealed;
Did you know that NIPOST had generated over 60b in NIPOST CBN account for the Federal Government? #justicefornipost
— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020
NIPOST said it has taken action to address the legal contradictions with the FIRS.
