Stamp Duty: Union Urges FG To Wade Into FIRS, NIPOST Feud

The Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOC) has urged the federal government to immediately convene a stakeholders’ meeting to address the controversies on which agency should produce and sell stamp duty.

The meeting, according to the union should include, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), SSASCGOC, ministry of Finance, and ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.

The union made this demand in a statement signed by its general-secretary, Comrade Ayo Olorunfemi, even as it declared that it has the responsibilities to protect the interest of all senior staff in Statutory Corporations in Nigeria, including the FIRS.

SSASCGOC has already issued a 21-day ultimatum to the federal government on the issue and has further threatened that failure to call the stakeholders’ meeting, it would have no other option than to declare full Industrial action.
While calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene, the union said, “As a responsible union, we have called on the federal government in the spirit of social dialogue, to convene a stakeholders meeting of FIRS, NIPOST, SSASCGOC, ministry of Finance, ministry of Communication and Digital Economy to discuss the issue of stamp as it relates to stamp duty”.

“Failure to do this, the Union shall have no other option than to declare full Industrial action. “A 21-day ultimatum/notice had been given to federal government already”.

“We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene on this matter before it degenerates into an avoidable Industrial Relations crisis that is capable of embarrassing Nigeria in the committee of Nations.”

It also added, “SSASCGOC recognizes the power given to FIRS by the law
to collect stamp duty, the power given to NIPOST by law to produce the
stamp must also be recognized. That is the reason we are saying that
stamp which is the major instrument to demote duties is a legal
product owned by NIPOST and should be procured by FIRS to carry out
the collection.”

The union, according to Comrade Olorunfemi, has the sole
responsibility to unionize all senior staff in statutory organizations
in the country and protect their interests. He emphasized that this
has also been supported by the pronouncement of the National
Industrial Court (NIC) judgments of 17 Dec 2019 and May 2020.

“SSASCGOC has responsibilities towards the protection of the interest
of all senior staff of Statutory Corporations in Nigeria including
FIRS as pronounced by the NIC judgments of 17th Dec 2019 and May
2020.” He said.

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