700, 000 apply for 500 FIRS jobs

The Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mr Tunde Fowler, has disclosed that the organisation received more than 700,000 applications from the recent job advert it placed.

Fowler made this known on Wednesday in Abuja when he appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Public Petition.

The FIRS boss’ appearance at the lower chamber following a petition from some applicants, who claimed to have been excluded from the employment processes.

The Service had invited applications for various positions in series of adverts placed in some national dailies.

Fowler said that out of the 700,000 applicants more than 2,000 had first class degrees in various disciplines and were qualified to be engaged by the Service.

He said that FIRS would recruit only 500 people, adding that the exercise was designed to increase manpower for tax revenue collection and expand the country’s revenue base.

He assured that the organisation would ensure fairness and due process in the recruitment process.

“We have secured waiver and endorsement from the Federal Character Commission in order to ensure that the right thing is done.’’

In his remarks, Chairman of the house committee, Mr Nkem Abonta, directed Fowler to submit to the committee the service’s nominal roll to assist it in arriving at a decision.