More blackout looms as the Oyo State government and the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) are currently in tango over indebtedness to the tune of millions of naira.
IBEDC gave hint of blackout when stating that the decision of the Oyo State government to seal its offices over tax debt would have “damaging effect on business and service delivery to its customers.”
The company added that the impasse will “exacerbate the power challenges and pressure on residents and commercial activities within the state.”
The tango between the two was blown open, on Wednesday, when officials of the Oyo State Bureau of Internal Revenue sealed offices of the IBEDC over tax debt accumulating to over N400million.
Among offices sealed were the IBEDC headquarters located on Ring Road, those at Mobil, Oluyole Extension, Dugbe, Ojoo-Iwo Road road and Monatan.
The Oyo State government explained that the action became imperative because the IBEDC had accumulated the tax debt of over N400million in the last two years.
According to a statement by the state commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr Wasiu Olatunbosun, the breakdown of the debt is Harmonised bills, N139,440,000.00; Infrastructure bills N122,590,000.00; Tax Audit bills N116,516,111.41; Signage bill N22,000,000.00.
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Olatunbosun stated that the IBEDC’s indifference towards the settlement of the bill necessitated the locking and sealing of its major offices in the state.
The statement added that the government approached the High Court of Justice in Ibadan to seek an order to seal off the premises of IBEDC because the company had been ignoring bills served it by the men of the Oyo State Board of Internal Revenue Service for the past two years.
According to him, the company has never in any of their communication with the government revenue agency, objected to the claim of the figure owed.
Olatunbosun also noted that documents from the State Board of Internal Revenue Service showed that bills were served on IBEDC in the past two years (2020-2021) which were ignored.
He maintained that IBEDC never objected to owing accumulated bills, which led the State to seek a legal solution and the High Court of Justice gave the government the warrant to seal off their premises in order to enforce payment.
The impasse gained public attention with IBEDC stating that the sudden decision of the Oyo state government to seal its offices is because it disconnected the electricity supply meant for the state Secretariat about two weeks ago.
Management of the IBEDC termed the action of the Oyo state government as retaliatory, adding that it was not duly notified before the sealing of offices was done.
The IBEDC said it was baffled that the state government will suddenly ‘contrived debts labelled as revenue bills and personal income without due notification.”
As contained in a statement signed by its Chief Operating Officer, Mr John Ayodele, IBEDC stated that the Oyo State government, on its part, owed the sum of N4500 million over a period of three years.
In what it described as “underhand and arm twisting tactics,” the IBEDC said it expected the state government to clear its debts to the company rather than sealing off its offices.
The statement read: “The Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC) Plc hereby informs its esteemed customers of the retaliatory and illegal action of the Oyo State Government over the issue of its huge indebtedness.
“The Oyo State Government, on Wednesday, 9 February 2022 commenced the sealing of our offices within the state over some suddenly contrived debts labelled revenue bills and personal income without due notification. This issue of revenue bills and personal income arising now is quite suspicious.
“Oyo State Government is owing IBEDC a whopping consumption outstanding of N450 Million Naira for over a period of three years.”
“No business in this country can run successfully with such a huge outstanding, the power we distribute to customers must be accounted for and paid for, we have no choice but to disconnect the Oyo State Secretariat, so it is worrisome to see that the government has sealed off our offices with this underhand and arm twisting tactics, instead of paying the debt owed. This was not done in good faith and it would have a damaging effect on the business and service delivery to our customers.”
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Blackout may persist as Oyo govt, IBEDC tango over electricity, tax debts
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Blackout may persist as Oyo govt, IBEDC tango over electricity, tax debts
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