The Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) has denied claims by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) that it operates an illegal stamp duty account.
According to NIPOST, in a statement on Sunday, its stamp duty account was opened by the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Treasury Single Account.
Recall that the FIRS had in a series of tweets last week claimed that NIPOST operated an illegal Stamp Duty Account, vowing to ensure that all monies in the account were recovered and transferred into the Federation Account.
The revenue collection agency had also insisted that NIPOST must give account for every kobo in the account.
However, in a statement issued by its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Franklin Alao, NIPOST described as false FIRS‘ claims, saying they were made to misinform and mislead members of the public.
In the statement titled ‘NIPOST stamp duty account was opened by CBN’, the postal agency disclosed that the account referred to by FIRS was opened in consultation with the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation.
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It gave the name of the account as NIPOST Stamp Duties Collection Account.
According to the statement, the CBN gave instruction to Deposit Money Banks (DMB) to commence the deduction of N50 stamp duties from bank customers accounts at the time.
The statement read in part: “We hereby state categorically that the statement (FIRS) is false and made to misinform and mislead members of the public.
“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.
“NIPOST wishes to reinstate 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.
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Historically, the Post in Nigeria, just like in the comity of nations, has at different times produced adhesive postage stamps and revenue stamps for the Federal Government. It is to this end that NIPOST seeks the proper implementation of the Finance Act.
“NIPOST is therefore taken aback when FIRS took to the tweeter to call out the Chairman, NIPOST Board, Maimuna Abubakar, who only tried to bring the attention of the Service and public that NIPOST would be emasculated if the Act is not properly implemented.
“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 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.’
“We, therefore, urge the general public to disregard the statement credited to the Director, Communication and Liaison, FIRS on the issue”.
