Gov. Fashola’s Tax Points man,
Tunde Fowler In Trouble Over Extravagant Lifestyle
If there’s anybody whose
personal idiosyncrasies and administrative style have been generating a lot of
negative controversy in the cabinet of the performing governor of Lagos State,
Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), it is no one but the chairman of the State’s
Internal Revenue Service, (LIRS) Chief Babatunde Fowler.
In recent time, the man has been a subject of so many controversies
that, his boss-the governor was contemplating booting him out but for the
intervention of the godfather of Lagos politics and immediate past governor of
the state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who has been trying to pour oil on
troubled water.
According to inside sources, trouble started for the Lagos Taxman,
Babatunde Fowler when he decided to leave the shores of Lagos and air-lifted
about 500 guests for a stupendously expensive wedding of his daughter, Funke in
far away Dubai.
The flamboyant wedding, which analysts have credited as the most wasteful
in recent time, according to those in attendance, caught the fancy of his boss,
Governor Fashola that eyebrows were raised as to why a civil servant should be
that extravagant when the state is struggling to deliver the dividends of
democracy.
And as if that’s not enough, while the man, Tunde Fowler is running
from pillar to post in order to find a lasting solution to his predicament,
those in his office have split the beans over alleged relationship with one of
his staff, one Biola Williams, a junior staff who lives in a palatial mansion
in Magodo. Same sources who work at the Lagos State Internal Revenue office
also disclosed that, there’s more to the employment of one Shola, the elder
sister of the ex beauty queen, Omowumi Akinifesi as the deputy Tax manager than
meet the eyes.
People in the know have even said that, the governor is contemplating
compromising the Tax man’s job for one of the board’s key members, an equally
qualified and well trained officer whose name was given as Olanrewaju Adeniyi.
In our modern style of investigative journalism, this office wrote a
letter to the chairman of the Lagos State Inland Revenue, Babatunde Fowler
since we might not be able to reach him on phone for his side of the story, the
letter was titled, “Request for official response” and the contents read:
“We are a media organization
committed to practicing journalism with strong bias for ethical standard and
strict professional convention, hence our resolve at towing this modern style
of cross-checking stories so as to set the record straight.
As public watchdogs and thoroughbred professionals, we have a lot of
regard for individual/corporate integrity and image, most especially,
hard-earned reputation which remains every good citizen’s priceless possession.
In lieu of the aforementioned, we shall equally be honoured if your
esteemed self could be humble enough to help us in discharging our duties by
reacting officially to some of the facts at hand of which we are taking into
consideration in our next publication.
Sir, there’s a story sent to our establishment regarding the private life of your humble self, it is a
story that has to do with one Biola Williams, your alleged mistress who’s a
staff in your office and a proud owner of an apartment bought for her by you
inside Magodo Estate, Lagos. In addition, you’ve been romantically linked with
ex Beauty Queen Omowunmi Akinifesi whose elder sister, Shola through her
influence currently holds position as one of the Deputy Tax Station Managers in
the (LIRS).
Our highly dependable source further divulge the ongoing plot to
discharge you of your duties as the Chairman, Lagos State Inland Revenue
Service (LIRS) by the executive Governor
of Lagos State, His Excellency, Babatude Raji Fashola and have you replaced
with Mr. Olanrewaju Adeniyi a key member
of the Board. The reason, we were told is not unconnected with your perceived flamboyant lifestyle, especially the recent lavish
wedding of your beautiful daughter Funke and Chief Bayo Kuku’s son Abiodun.
Ordinarily, we would have been reckless about it and hit the town with
the story but because of your impressive track records in the profession and
the fact that, your footsteps on the sand of time is commendable, hence the
need to take the pains to get in touch with you in order not to misinform our
legion of readers and members of the public about your good and reliable self.
Enclosed are courtesy copies of both our fortnight and quarterly
editions of our international standard magazine for your perusal.
We strongly believe that as a trustworthy Nigerian dedicated to
serving the public, you would promptly accord us necessary assistance to
expedite the discharge of our duties.”, the letter ends.
As a public servant and gentleman, we had expected that Chief Fowler
would make his response official either in writing or rather via phone, though
upon receiving our letter he proposed a meeting in his office for 4pm same day
when he called and spoke with our News Editor after debunking the contents of
the letter, we however perceived fowl play when few hours later a lady who
introduced herself as the head of the media at the LIRS office called again but
this time threatening fire and brimstones and even lied that she had brought
the response of the letter earlier in the day to our office but was told by
neighbours that there’s no media house in the compound therefore questioning if
we’re sure we truly publish from the address in the letter. But after one or
two questions, we found out that they never came to our office from our interactions.
They later wrote us a letter where they alleged that the content of our letter
is criminal and amounts to threat, blackmail and extortion. Please read it over
again. When we received their own threat letter which they copied the EFCC and
the Commissioner of Police (according to them), we forwarded it to our counsel,
Barrister Festus Keyamo who advised us to go ahead with our story and wait for
him to prove to the world the threats in the content of the letter we sent to
them.
- Jite Usman
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