Northern youths under the auspices of Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) rose from an extraordinary meeting in Kaduna at the weekend, with a vote of confidence on the Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr. Babatunde Fowler, and Controller General of Customs, Col Hameed Ali (rtd).
The Northern youths said the duo of Ali and Fowler displayed ingenuity and uncommon devotion to duty by raising the non-oil revenues base in many folds through their agencies, which they said brought Nigeria out of the economic recession.
The youth group spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting in Kaduna on Monday.
Speaker of AYA, Muhammad Salihu Danlami, opined that President Muhammadu Buhari was ushered in with a plethora of challenges principal of which was a steep and steady decline into a harsh economic recession.
According to Danlami: “However, it is on record that the government breasted the tape of the challenge and worked the Nigerian economy out of recession in record time never seen before in the world over. This feat was achieved thanks to the commitment of some very innovative public servants at the helms of affairs of some of our MDAs.
“Thus, Arewa Youth Assembly is delighted at the masterful detailed attention being accorded by the administrators of these MDAs which has seen them spark to life with outstanding positive results.
“At the risk of sounding immodest, let it be placed on record that the achievement recorded by Mr. Babatunde Fowler and Col. Hameed Ali (rtd.) have achieved enviable records never seen before in Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) respectively since their creation.
“Mr. Fowler took over the reign of FIRS at a time our country was going through economic depression amidst dwindling oil revenues. It was his sheer ingenuity through the raise of non oil revenues base in many folds that brought out our country of the recession.
“Between 2016 to 2018 the non oil revenue collection grew by over One trillion naira (about 21%). This is a record first for our country at a time when there is a global shift away from oil revenues towards economic diversification in non oil sectors. It is well established fact that Mr. Fowler is an all time ambassador for Zero tolerance of corruption.
“Let’s use this medium as an organisation to commend and pass a vote of confidence on the present FIRS management led ably led by Mr. Babatunde Fowler and NCS led by Col. Hameed Ali (Rtd.) for raising the non oil revenues to an all time higher and for rising up to the occasion to reverse the then economic recession and stear our country’s economy to an era of boom and progress.
“These recorded progress can be linked to far reaching reforms introduced by Mr. Fowler in areas of regular and continous taxpayers education, ICT innovation drive and taxpayers enlightments amongst others. And on the other hand Col. Ali water tight policies on border security and duty tax on taxable items in line with his given task to reform, restructure and increase the revenue generation of the customs draws accolades within and outside our shores.
“Mr. Fowler and Col. Ali supervise a total turnaround of the economy to meet up the challenges of the moment by riding the 2 agencies of pervasive corruption and undue political meddlesomeness. We shall vigorously continue to support President Muhammadu Buhari consolidation agenda in the next four years of the current term and his worthy lieutenents.
“God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, he said.
