Group Urges Presidency to Post FIRS to Force Headquarters

As a way of contributing to the promotion of the principle of accountability and transparency, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has suggested that officials of the Federal Inland Revenue services (FIRS), should be deployed to police headquarters and state commands to take inventory of donations and cash payments made to the Force by corporate bodies and individuals.

Besides, the rights group said it had resolved to send a letter to the Federal Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunsho Adewole, to urge him to partner the National Assembly to introduce a legislation banning the sale of cigarettes to teenagers by ensuring that when in doubt, cigarettes’ sellers should demand for birth certificates from the customers before selling as is the practice in most developed societies. The group said this policy would check health hazards and reduce incidents of social maladies.

The pro-transparency and non-governmental organisation, in a statement yesterday, said it made the observations on the need to post officials of FIRS to the Force headquarters and police state commands against the backdrop of the allegation that the Inspector General of Police, Alhaji Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, diverts at least N10 billion monthly generated from sundry payments by crude oil companies, embassies and rich individuals to the police for deployment of armed security operators to work for these patrons.

Senator Isah Hamma Misau recently alleged that 50,000 policemen attached to oil companies, banks, and private individuals, make regular payments to the police authorities even as these monies were estimated to run into billions of naira and are diverted.

To this end, HURIWA called for thorough investigation of the widespread allegation of diversion of billions of revenues.

It urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Federal inland Revenue services and the joint tax board to post trusted forensic account officers to the police formations so official receipts are issued for all payments and the revenue paid directly into the Treasury Single Account (TSA).

In the statement, the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, and National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA expressed shock that president Buhari had so far maintained loud silence to the cacophony of corruption allegations made by a senator against the IG.

“HURIWA is by this statement tasking President Buhari to set in motion a machinery for the comprehensive investigation of all the claims and counter claims made by Missau against IG and the belated and seemingly diversionary accusation against the senator for being a deserter. Nigerians needs to get full disclosures regarding the very damaging corruption allegations made by Senator Misau against IG.”

HURIWA stated that it is a notorious fact that embassies, crude oil prospecting companies and rich individuals are protected by the armed guards posted by the office of the IG and it is known that these corporate individuals and organisations pay some forms of fees to the police.

“The Nigerian government should investigate the police authority with a view to ascertaining the amounts of revenues being generated and why they aren’t been remitted to the Federation Account.
“ If these monies are diverted then they must be traced and returned to public coffers. There is also the issues of donations to the police by rich individuals and state governments. Nigerians should be told why these cash are frittered. The current IG should be suspended pending the determination of the investigative hearing.”

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