ABUJA – President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed Dr. William Babatunde Fowler and Mr. Aliyu Yahaya Gusau as Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service and Director-General, Budget Office of the Federal Government respectively.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Femi Adesina, Dr. Fowler will serve as Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate.
The statement further stated that, “Mr. Gusau’s appointment is with effect from August 18, 2015 and is for a term of four years, renewable for another four years, unless he attains the retirement age of 60 years or completes 35 years of pensionable service.”
According to the presidency spokesperson, “Dr. Fowler was the Chief Executive Officer/Executive Chairman of the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue from 2005 to 2014.
“He had his higher education in the United States where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Business Administration degree from the California State University.
“Before joining the service of the Lagos State Government, Dr. Fowler worked in the banking sector for about 20 years with long stints at Credit Lyonnais Nigeria Limited and Chartered Bank.
“Under his leadership, the Lagos State Board of Internal Revenue reportedly achieved a sharp increase in internally generated revenue from an average of N3.6. billion per month in January 2006, to an average of about N20.5 billion per month in 2013.
“Fowler, who holds an Honorary Doctorate Degree of the Irish International University, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and the Business Management Association of the United Kingdom.
“He will serve as Acting Executive Chairman of FIRS until his appointment is confirmed by the Senate.”
