By Mustapha Sumaila
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has debunked rumours that its staff has tested positive to coronavirus.
Mr Abdullahi Ismaila, Director, Communications and Liaison Department, said this in a statement obtained by News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, on Saturday.
He said that the rumour was false and unfounded.
“The attention of the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr Muhammad Nami and the Management of the Service, have been drawn to the fake news making the rounds on Social Media that a member of staff at the FIRS has tested positive to COVID-19.
“The Service hereby states unequivocally that no member of staff at the FIRS has been tested positive to COVID-19 as being peddled on Social Media.
“The Service can confirm that a member of staff who went to pick his wife from the airport following her return from a trip abroad is currently and voluntarily observing the Federal Government advisory self-isolation alongside his spouse at the couple’s home since on Monday.
“Both husband and wife have not visited any FIRS offices or events since the wife returned to Nigeria last Sunday. More importantly, both husband and wife have only been in self-isolation for five days and have not tested positive to Covid-19,” he explained.
The director stated that before now, all FIRS offices had taken necessary precautions to protect both Staff and the service’s esteemed taxpayers from Covid-19.
Such safety measures, he said, include social distancing, temperature testing, disabling of the biometric sign in, and provision of hand sanitizers for staff and visitors to offices nationwide as advised by the Federal Ministry of Health. (NAN)
