Daniel Kanu
It is obvious that seasoned banker and tax administration guru, Babatunde Fowler, is not having a pleasant experience at the moment.
Curiously, Fowler who only yesterday was adjudged a “saint”given his perceived and well-advertized record of performance while in office as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) boss is today facing serious investigations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is interrogating him over an alleged N100 billion tax evasion levelled against a tax firm, Alpha Beta Consulting.
On Monday, November 2, Fowler, who was also a former chief executive officer, Lagos State Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), was a guest of the anti-corruption agency as it responded to it’s invitation.
A former managing director and chief executive officer, Alpha Beta Consulting, Dapo Apara, had accused the firm of tax fraud to the tune of N100billion.
In a petition to the EFCC in 2018, Apara stated that Alpha Beta, the firm given exclusive rights to monitor and collect Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) on behalf of the Lagos Government, “has become an avenue for official corruption of government officials, a conduit pipe, for massive money-laundering scheme, tax evasion, among other vices.”
In the petition written by his lawyer, Adetunji Shoyoye and Associates, the ex-CEO claimed that the fraud had been covered by powerful politicians in the state.
The petition signed by Adetunji Adegboyega on behalf of the law firm, read in part: “Over the years the company has been protected and shielded by some powerful politicians and people in the society which made them to always boast of being untouchable, but our client, feeling the need not to keep quiet again and strengthened by his belief in the fact that the government of President Muhammadu Buhari is keen on fighting corruption, which has been the bane of our country, is of the firm belief that it’s time to expose and open the can of worms called Alpha Beta Consulting.”
There were initial denials that Fowler was never invited for talks with the EFCC, but the anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed to the media that Fowler was with the commission as he responded to their invitation.nUwujaren, however, did not comment further on the investigation.
Fowler had fought many battles even as FIRS chairman as his critics never gave him a breathing space. There were several petitions against him as well as a presidential query. Fowler”s accusers ensured they laid everything bare.
In their view, despite his claims of raising huge revenue for the government, they had argued that in all the years under him, the actual amount collected as tax fell below the targeted budget and was also low.
The reason they maintained he should be querried by President Mohammed Buhari over variances between budgeted collections and actuall collection.
Perhaps, apparently aware that his chances of clinching another term of four years as the country’s number one tax collector was very slim, Fowler then wrote to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, stating why he should be given a second term.
Unknown to him the game was up as Buhari announced his replacement with Mohammad Nami.
However, there are some who believe that the travail of Fowler is more political than real. To these people, Fowler is simply a victim of crude politics.
“What we are seeing in the case of Fowler is that of the hand of Esau and voice of Jacob. They are using it as smokescreen for 2023 intrigue. The target is known to real political actors and the target is aware of the plot.
“They know, I mean the powers that be, who mobilised against Fowler. They know the owner of the company through which they are indicting him. The game plan is beyond him and what we are witnessing. It is a deep and dangerous political intrigue. The more you look the less you see,” a credible source said.
Born on August 12, 1956, Fowler attended Igbobi College in Lagos and studied in the United States of America at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he obtained a bachelor in science in economics and a minor in Political Science in 1978. He completed a second bachelor’s degree programme at California State University, Los Angeles and also a Master of Business Administration degree programme at California State University, Dominguez Hills in 1981.
Fowler started his career as a marketing Intern with Avon Products Inc. New York working under the Vice President in charge of Africa. Having completed his formal education he was employed by Johnson and Johnson in New Jersey USA, under the MBA International Development Programme, which lasted for one year, thereafter he was transferred to join Johnson & Johnson Nigeria.
He later made a career change from International Finance and Marketing to Banking. Fowler was elected as 1st Vice Chairman of United Nations Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters. The 25 tax experts were headhunted across the globe to sit on the Committee and proffer solutions to issues on international taxation and cooperation.
Most Nigerians see him as a core professional who is currently carrying the burden of the political association through which he rose to power in FIRS.