Kogi State Internal Revenue Service has sealed the facilities of Telecommunication service providers like MTN, Airtel as well as Fort oil and Bank of Agriculture for refusing to pay taxes worth over N470M to the state government.
The Director of Legal Services and Enforcement of the Revenue service board, Barrister Jamil Isah who led his team to sealed the critical facilities of the two telecom service providers at mount patti, Obajana and other places in Lokoja, disclosed that Airtel owed over N321 million while MTN also refused to meet its obligation of over N140 million to Kogi state government.
Isah stressed further that Fort oil and Bank of Agriculture owes N5 and N3 Million respectively, saying their operation offices have been sealed.
“For quite some time, we have diligently approached the two telecom service providers the MTN and Airtel to pay some of their tax liabilities to the state government and they refused to cooperate with us.
“We then proceeded to the state High Court of Justice , the court having looked into the case granted us an order , authorising us to seal their facilities until those obligations are discharged by the affected organizations and that was what we have done to ensure that they pay the tax”, he said.
The Director of legal service who lamented that Airtel has refused to pay their annual rent for the laying of fiber cable on the soil of Kogi state, pointed out that the service provider paid their obligations in other state, vowed that the revenue service will continue to take a decisive action in order to compel them to pay their taxes.
“Pursuant to the directive of Kogi state governor Alhaji Yahaya Bello to have a listening ears to the complaints and challenges of the tax payers in the state, we met with them from time to time and make amend where we can.
“Sometimes we staggered their tax payments, we do some wavers and we reduced the tax payers liabilities in view of the challenges they presented before us. All of these to enable them pay the tax as at when due” he stressed.
He urged the prospective tax payers in the state not to delay in paying their tax or allow it to accumulate to a level that it will become difficult to pay.
Barrister Isah assured that the revenue service will continue to resolve whatever challenges they have in payment of taxes in the state.
