FIRS vs NIPOST: Two Federal Government Agencies Battle To Collect Stamp Duties From Nigerians

Two federal government agencies, Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) and the Federal Internal Revenue Service (FIRS) are in a running battle over which of them is legally authorized to deal with stamp duty issues.

The matter took a new turn after the latest move by Maimuna Abubakar, board chairman of NIPOST who took to the micro-blogging site, Twitter to call out FIRS.

Abubakar, in a series of tweets, accused FIRS of trying to steal the mandate of NIPOST and urged the general public to come to their rescue.

In her submission, the matter has been giving her sleepless nights. She argued that NIPOST is the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the purchase of such stamp accrues to NIPOST. Adding that there is nowhere in FIRS act or stamp duty act where it’s so stated that FIRS can produce stamp or sell stamp.

Naija News recalls the FIRS, in a recently released circular, said it is taking over the duty of stamp duty collection and directed members of the public as well as government agencies to visit its portal to do pay their duties.

However, NIPOST has opposed the move and claim by the FIRS even as Abubakar in her tweets on Sunday, accused FIRS of stealing NIPOST’s stamps and ideas.

“I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless night because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid, FIRS stole our mandate,” the tweet read.

“FIRS are now selling stamps instead of buying from us. What is happening, are we expected to keep quite and let FIRS kill and bury NIPOST? We need to get our mandate back.

“NIPOST are the sole custodians of national stamps, another agency printing and selling stamps is against the law of the land.

“FIRS did not only steal our stamps but also our ideas, what NIPOST had worked for since 2016, our documents, patent and sneaked everything into finance bill and tactically removed the name of NIPOST.

“I like to make this clear, NIPOST is the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the purchase of such stamp accrues to NIPOST

“There is no where in FIRS act or stamp duty act where it’s so stated that FIRS can produce stamp or sale stamp. Did you know that NIPOST had generated over 60b in NIPOST CBN account for the Federal Government?”

See her post:

I am worried for NIPOST, having sleepless night because of NIPOST, we need the general public to come to our aid, FIRS stole our mandate..#justicefornipost

— Maimuna Abubakar (@ref_ng) August 2, 2020