The chairman of Ado local government area of Ekiti State, Mrs Omotunde Fajuyi has said it is a criminal offence for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) not to pay expected tax to the coffers of the council area since 2013.
Recall the Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti state office of BEDC had been sealed since two weeks by officials of the council area following the debt amounting to N16 million spanning from 2013 to 2020 being owed by the distribution company.
Speaking during a peace meeting between the BEDC officials and the management of the local government, Fajuyi explained that the company is a private firm that is expected to pay tax to the government, saying, ” it is like the company has been exhorting the people for long.”
She added that the company has failed to pay the operation permits and the tenanment rate since 2013 to 2020, noting that the management of the council has the constituonal power to seal off the premises.
The council boss advised the officials of BEDC to reach out to their headquarters on the need to pay the backlog of N16 million being owed before the company’s office could be reopened.
While regretting that even though the company’s services to the people of the state is not encouraging in terms of regular power supply, he said BEDC had been collecting millions of naira from the people through the ,” unacceptable estimated billing system.”
According to her, “I want to thank you for coming here today but we have to say that whether you like it or not, BEDC is a private company that ordinarily should pay the expected taxes to government without any form of force. It is even a criminal offence for you to be invading tax and when you do, you should be sanctioned.
“As a local government, we have the constituonal duty to seal off any premises for invading taxes since 2013 to 2020, we are even not talking about this year’s own at the moment. For that your office to be reopened for business, you must pay the backlog, that is the decision of the local government management.
“Your business has not been palatable to the people of Ekiti, that is the truth and it is like you are exhorting the people for long. I believe you will do reparation for the sordid relationship.”
Fajuyi reiterated the need for the company to make available to every home the prepaid meter as directed by the federal government so as to put an end to what she described as outrageous billing from the BEDC.
Responding, the Head of Corporate Affairs of BEDC in Ekiti, Mr Kayode Brown expressed regret over the sealing of their office, saying the development is a bad omen for the corporate image of the distribution company.
Brown explained that the headquarters of the company directed the state officials to meet with the leadership of the council and fashion out modalities for the payment of the backlog.
He pleaded with the council leadership to give room for negotiation and consideration, assuring them that the company would in no distant time pay the first installment so as to enable the office to be unsealed soon.
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