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Politricks… The snare of the Fowler (SOTF)

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By B. Gbede…
There are two kinds of Nigerians, depending on how we feel about ‘Dr’ Babatunde Fowler, the new head honcho of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).
The first category comprises the ones who, ever since they heard the news, have turned Psalm 124: 7 into their daily confession.
We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler; the snare is broken, and we have escaped! Psalm 124 verse 7 (NASV)
They have heard about the reputation of ‘Dr’ Fowler from his time as OATT at the Lagos Tax Service.
They remember that when he took over as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, and Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue in November 2005, Lagos State was internally generating an average of 3 billion naira monthly.
They know that by 2014 that figure had surged to more than 20 billion naira monthly. They know this is what he is going to do in Abuja. The Fowler will smoke tax dodgers and evaders out of their holes, pursue them deep into the belly of the judicial system. Not for him drumming to shame tax defaulters and all other clownish moves.
Fowler knows the work, no doubt about that.
But there is something else he knows as well as the work. Indeed some wags are suggesting that when Banky W sang that song what he really meant was ‘Ain’t no party like a Fowler party’.
This is where the second class of Nigerians comes in. They have heard about Oga F’s penchant for living what some have summed up as the Baby Boy Life (BBL).

Read also: Gusau now DG, Budget Office; Fowler, chairman, FIRS

We’ve never had the privilege of ending up on the Invitation List for any of those gigs, but got a good glimpse from the talk-of-the-town, event-of-the-decade wedding he threw for his daughter in Lagos and Dubai in October and November 2011. Money was not only sent, it was seen to have been spent.
This second set comprises all those eager to land in the snare of the Fowler – the Invitation Lists for the 2015-2020 set of parties.
And they have rewritten Psalm 124:7 as follows:
We have fallen like a bird into the snare of the fowler; the snare is intact, and the turntup is badass and madt!

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