Osun to Globacom, 9mobile, others: Pay N12.5bn or be dragged to court

Osun state government has given a seven-day ultimatum to defaulting telecommunications, construction companies, and other revenue-yielding agencies to pay their tax or be ready to be dragged to court. The Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Tax, Gbenga Akano, made the vow at a press conference held at the board room of the Osun Internal Revenue Service (OIRS), Abere, Osogbo. Listing the defaulting companies, Akano said Globacom Ltd was indebted to the tune of N7.6billion between 2000 and 2017.
According to Akano, other defaulters are; EMTS Ltd (9 Mobile), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Sammya Nig Ltd, Wetland Construction, LAPO Agric Development Initiative, NTA Ile-Ife, Nigeria Prisons Service and Nigeria Immigration Service. Others are; the Nigeria Customs, NSCDC, National Centre for Technology Management, and Centre for Energy Research and Development. He said the need to ensure compliance of taxpayers became necessary due to dwindling allocation from the federal government and the need to revamp the state economy. “It is important to intimate you that several demand notices have been issued and various meetings held with these affected organisations, but their imperviousness and persistent indebtedness in spite of various persuasive means employed proved abortive.
“Hence, this further action to announce to the whole world the need to begin criminal proceedings of all tax defaulters in the state to ensure that recalcitrant taxpayers are made to face the full wrath of the law. “The state of Osun government has zero-tolerance for tax evasion and avoidance as it is our stand that it is great sin against the human race for injustice to reign.
“Therefore, Osun Internal Revenue Service is set to begin criminal prosecution and make sure that these companies face the full wrath o f the law.” Akano disclosed that the total amount of withholding tax, unremitted PAYE and development levy stood at N12, 46, 320, 224.5

 

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