By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The Acting Executive Chairman, KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe (right) and Director, Legal and Enforcement,Barr.Saidu I.Okino(left), addressing Journalists during the press conference.
Kogi State Internal Revenue Service (KGIRS) says it sealed off the network facilities of Global Nigeria Limited and Airtel Network Limited in the state, because the two telecommunications companies refused to pay their taxes due to the state government. It,therefore, described as untrue, the allegation by the two telecom organisations and other quarters that KGIRS is collecting illegal taxes from them.
The Acting Executive Chairman, KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja during a Press Conference.
Alhaji Sule,whose speech was read by Barr. Saidu I. Okino, the Director, Legal and Enforcement of KGIRS, explained that earlier, KGIRS was in a “tax default battle” with three major Telecom giants, which include MTN Nigeria Communications.
He revealed that while MTN Nigeria Communications responded, by immediately clearing its tax Ijabilities of N60,015,000.00, GLO and AIRTEL refused to clear its liabilities.
“Also, Airtel Networks Limited defaults at N60,035,000.00; both corporate and individual tax liabilities.All these payments are to be paid by virtue of a law of the Kogi State House of Assembly, duly passed which allows KGIRS to collect the levies and fees on premises.
“While MTN Nigeria Communications has come to settle their tax liabilities, we expect the remaining two, GLO and AIRTEL to do same”, Sule said.
The acting executive chairman said:” The said liabilities include Globacom Nigeria defaulting at N300,000,000.00 unremitted tax liabilities, both corporate and individual, and on Social Service Contribution Levy (SSCL) from 2017 through 2021.
He added that several demand notices were sent to the two defaulting Telecom Companies but that they refused to oblige.
On the statement credited to the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, that the shutting down of the operations of Glo and Airtel in the state”is likely to cause potential communications black in the whole of kogi state” and some other states of the federation, Sule said KGIRS is not interested in killing any business operating in the state.
“As an organization, KGIRS has tremendous respect for the rule of law and will not take any action that infringes on the rights of individuals and organisations .
“We also maintain a cordial relationship with organisations, to complement the efforts of governnent at making Kogi State the investment haven of Nigeria,” he stressed.
According to the KGIRS boss, with the nosediving revenue coming from FAAC,the onus of revenue generation fell on the Service to ensure that all due taxes were raked in to serve the people of the state in line with the Agenda of the Alhaji Yahaha Bello administration.
He, therefore, called on corporate organisations in the state to reciprocate the open door policy of KGIRS and the conducive environment provided by the current administration in the state by paying their taxes duly.
According to him, KGIRS deals with Telecom Companies individually and not with an Association of Telecom Providers.
He noted that the Court issues highlighted in the association’s petition was the case of business premises, bordering on “whether the telecommunication mast (network facilities) can be regarded as business premises by virtue of section 2 of Kogi State Business Premise Law of 2017”.
The Acting Executive Chairman, who noted that the matter was decided by the Federal High Court, Lokoja in favour of the Telecom Association, against the Registrar of Business Premises,Kogi State and 4 others, said the state had filed a notice of appeal, thereto, before the Court of Appeal, Abuja.
“But the one we are dealing with, right now, is on Social Service Contribution Levy, both individual and corporate bodies. This is under the extant law of Kogi State Harmonisation Law, 2017,” he noted.
The Reporters recalls KGIRS sealed the network facilities of two telecommunication companies operating in Kogi State,last week for what it described as their refusal to remit tax liabilities worth over N360,035,000.00 to the state government.
The Director of Legal Services and Enforcement, Barrister Saidu Isah Okino, represented by the Head of Enforcement Department of the Revenue Service, Alhaji Abubakar Obori,led the team to seal the facilities of the two companies at the Mount Patti Hill and across the state.
Our Correspondent reports that the face-off between KGIRS and the two affected telecom companies has elicited reactions members of the public in Lokoja and its environs, with many of the subscribers complaining of their inability to access internet and bank services.
“I wish to advise glo management to negotiate the terms of payment with Kogi state government,to lessen the suffering of we, lovers of glo,Mr Bamidele Emmanuel, a resident of Lokoja, urged in an interview with the Reporters.
Another resident of Felele,a suburb of Lokoja,Miss Maryam Mohammed, expressed concern that she could not access her bank account and make calls since the sealing off Airtel telecom company.
” I wish this face-off between the state government and the two telecom companies is resolved armicably,within the shortest time possible, in view of its sour effects on the social and economic life of the people, particularly the subscribers,” also advised.
Efforts by our Correspondent to get the side of Glo and Airtel on the issue proved abortive, as Glo office located at Murtala Mohammed way and Airtel Office on Ganaja junction,all in Lokoja, remained lock and keyed when he calls on the premises of the two telecom companies in the state at about 1.30 p.m on Thursday.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
