THE Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) has sealed the facilities a leading telecommunications services provider MTN over non payment of taxes value at N120 million to the state government.
The Director Legal Services and Enforcement of the revenue service of the organisation, Jamil Isah, who led his team to seal the facilities at mount patti, Obajana and other places in Lokoja, disclosed that beside the refusal of MTN to pay the tax to the state government, the service provider insulted the state government by offering N250,000 as full and final settlement of the obligation.
He said, “This exercise commenced in November last year. We were in MTN sites for a number of weeks. Upon the order of the High Court of Justice of Kogi State granted on the account of the fact that MTN in Kogi State has failed in her responsibility and legal obligation to discharge her tax obligations to the state.
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“The order of the High Court of Justice in Kogi State was granted on the 3rd of October, 2018. MTN did not take any step to redeem those tax obligations which spread across social services contribution levy, employee development levy as well as annual right of way fee.
The state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, heeded the intervention of the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) when it came to intervene and directed the KGIRS to unseal the sites and commence immediate negotiation with MTN as an organisation.
This opportunity was also abused by the MTN as the Telecom service provider engaged in various moves to subvert the proper order of Kogi State High Court by employing very unacceptable means to evade enforcement.
They sought the intervention of the NCC asked KGIRS to vacate those sites last year despite of the fact that the distrain was carried out on the order of the court. We were surprised again when we received a letter from the NCC seeking to query the distrain activities of the KGIRS which was obtained upon an order from court”.
Isah noted that MTN had been attempting to influence other authorities and agencies of government to prevail on Kogi government not to carry out its proper duties under the law, adding that the KGRIS woukd not be intimidated.
“The era of using other authorities of government to muzzle the government of Kogi State and its people and evade statutory responsibilities is over” he said
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