NIPOST renews ‘quarrel’, says FIRS lied about stamp duty account

The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has refuted the claim by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in some tweets last week that the postal agency was running an illegitimate account for stamp duty collection purpose, saying instead, its stamp duty account was opened by the central bank in fidelity to government’s Treasury Single Account policy.

“We hereby state categorically that the statement is false and made to misinform and mislead members of the public”, the postal agency said Sunday in a statement – NIPOST Stamp Duty Account was Opened by CBN – issued by Frank Alao, its corporate communications general manager.

The agency claimed that the account, named NIPOST Stamp Duties Collection Account, had the consent of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation prior to its opening, adding, that the apex bank ordered the deduction of N50 stamp duties by deposit money banks from bank customers’ accounts at the time.

It continued, that “The account belongs to the federation and NIPOST does not have access to whatsoever monies lodged into the account. As such, the question of illegality and misappropriation does not arise…

Read also: NIPOST/FIRS conflict worsens as both agencies clash on social media

“NIPOST wishes to reiterate that under the extant laws of Nigeria to wit NIPOST Act 2004 provides and vests 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.”

According to the agency, it is the inherent duty of the postal service in Nigeria, as in anywhere else in the world, to make adhesive postage stamps as well as revenue stamps for the government.

“NIPOST is therefore taken aback when FIRS took to Twitter to call out the Chairman, NIPOST Board, Maimuna Abubakar, who only tried to bring the attention of the service and the public that NIPOST would be emasculated if the Act (the Finance Act) is not properly implemented.

“This is 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.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now