By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Many recharge card sellers and operators of other business concerns in Lokoja, Kogi State, using Glo and Airtel telecom companies’ services for business have stressed the need for the two companies to iron out the issue of tax liabilities with the state government for the timely restoration of their network facilities.
They made the call in separate interview with the Correspondent of The Reporters in Lokoja on Thursday, saying that the development had been having negative effects on their businesses.
A mechanic,Mr Christopher John, who uses Glo services to interact with his customers,said his patronage had dropped drastically since the sealing-off the company’s facilities in the state.
” My customers that used to call me, through my Glo line, to come to their houses for the repair of their cars no long able to call me due to the problem,so I am fast losing many of the in line of business. I pray the parties involved resolve the issue amicably and on time too, he urged.
A Glo and Airtel recharge card seller at the new market also in Lokoja,Miss Gladys Okolo, told our correspondent that she had been out of business since the two telecom companies were out of business of communication for the past one week.
“You can imagine how much loss I must have incurred in terms of sales and profits as a result of the face-off,” she said.
Contributing, Mr Bamidele Emmanuel,a federal government retiree, living at GRA, Lokoja, expressed concern that apart from not being able to call his relations and friends, using Glo line, he could not access banking services as well,through such line.
“I wish to advise Glo management to negotiate the terms of payment of the tax liabilities with the Kogi State Governnent to lessen the suffering of we, the lovers of Glo,” Bamidele said.
Similar complaints were lodged by other segments of population using the services of the two telecom giants, in their interviews with the Correspondent of the online publication and stressed the need to resolve the issue.
The Correspondent of The Reporters recalls that the Kogi State Internal Revenue Service,last week, sealed-off the network facilities of the two telecom organisations in Lokoja, citing non payment of their taxes to the state government to warrant the decision.
During the press conference he held with Journalists in Lokoja on Wednesday in Lokoja on the issue, the Acting Executive Chairman, KGIRS, Alhaji Salihu Sule Enehe, said all the efforts made the Service for the two telecom companies to pay their tax liabilities went on deaf ears.
Alhaji Sule,whose speech was read by Barr.Saidu I.Okino, Director,Legal and Enforcement of KGIRS, said the liabilities ” include Globacom Nigeria defaulting at N300,000,000.00 as unremitted tax liabilities,both corporate and individual,and on Social Service Contribution Levy (SSCL) from 2017 through 2921.”
He added that “Airtel Network Limited defaults at M60,035,000.00,both corporate and individual tax liabilities.”
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.
