BY FESTUS OKOROMADU
The Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Muhammad Nami was at the weekend named the winner of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria Merit Award 2023 in its Non-Members Category.
Nami was honoured at the Institute’s 2023 Annual Dinner Awards ceremony held at the Monarch Event Centre, Lagos, on Saturday.
Speaking during the event, President of the Association, Tijani Musa Isa, described the FIRS chairman as an unassuming and humble achiever who has led the Service to excel in the international tax circle despite global economic challenges by achieving milestones in revenue collection.
“This Award is in recognition of your positive impact in the society. You have made significant contributions to the institute and to Nigeria. The governing board deemed it fit to acknowledge the role you have played and your outstanding achievements,” Isa noted.
In his citation, Nami was described as “a go-getter and an ingenious leader.”
It further stated that “the reforms he is implementing at FIRS attest to his dexterity, visionary leadership and patriotism. Under his visionary leadership, the FIRS in 2022 achieved an unprecedented revenue collection of N10.1 trillion, which is the highest tax collection ever made in the history of the country.”
While receiving the award, the FIRS boss appreciated the Council Members of the ICAN, saying that he had been lucky to work with their members through his 32 years career.
“Since I left the university, over 32 years ago, I have had the privilege and luck to be directly and indirectly associated with ICAN members: from the PKF, to Manam Professional Services, and now I am working directly with well over 3,000 members of this Institute as the Executive Chairman of the FIRS.
“I feel blessed by this honour and privilege. I am grateful to God, and to all of you who have found me worthy of this recognition. I pray God rewards all of you enormously,” he noted.
Nami dedicated the award to his alma mater from primary to tertiary levels; his former colleagues at the Presidential Committee on Audit of Stolen Recovered Stolen Assets; members of the Tax Advisory Committee of the FIRS; all taxpayers; the Board Members, Management and staff of the FIRS, and his family members.
