Glo, 9Mobile, OAU, Others Fail to Remit N12.4bn Tax to Osun Govt

About seven companies and 10 Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) domiciled in the State of Osun are allegedly owing the state government a total sum of N12, 46, 320, 224, 05 in tax default.

Of the entire sum, a telecommunication company, Glo Limited was accused of owing the government N7, 600,595,640.00 tax between 2005 and 2017.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Osogbo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax Matters, Mr Gbenga Akano, said the amount included the charges on all the Glo mast stations within the state and payment on right of way and fees for mast/tower deployment

According to Akano, top in the list of the tax defaulter company is also Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, which had failed to remit tax to the tune of N1, 844,770,939.45 between 2015 and 2016.

Akano who declared that the government has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the tax defaulters, explained that the OAU tax debt included 10% penalty and 21% interest.

Another telecommunication company, EMTS Limited known as 9mobile, also owed the government a sum of N882, 448,475.00 tax it supposed to remit between 2005 and 2017, according to Akano.

Other tax defaulting companies, according to Akano, are: SAMMYA Nigeria Limited (N5, 002,576.77 tax between 2014 and 2016), Wetland Construction Nigeria Limited (N8, 686,336.41 tax between 2015 and 2016 and LAPO Agric Development Initiative (N7, 078,313.20 tax between 2013 and 2016).

Akano revealed that other agencies with liabilities to be remitted to the government are National Centre for Technology Management, NACTEM, (N36, 578,427.35), Centre for Energy Research and Development, CERD, (N42, 393,130.86) Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital (N1, 178,053,645.42) and National Television Authority, Ile-Ife, (N6, 743,886.99).

The Special Adviser listed other defaulting MDAs as “the Nigeria Custom Service (N111, 221,381.37), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps with liability of N117, 589,001.74 and N128, 289,909.12 under PAYE of 11months

“Nigeria Immigration Service with liability of N25, 489,546.38 under PAYE of 10months, Nigeria Prison Services with the liability of N44, 567,867.14 under PAYE of 10months and Nigeria prison Services with the liability of N97, 863,595.57 between 2006 and 2012”

Akano maintained that at the expiration of the ultimatum, Osun Internal Revenue Service would begin criminal prosecution of all the tax defaulters and ensure that they face the full wrath of law.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa said effort at generating revenue in the state has been so tasking, saying that the Aregbesola’s administration is a believer in Internal General Revenue and has been working towards ensuring that the state is self sufficient financially without relying solely on the Federal Allocation.

Baderinwa said taxable person or corporate organisations who failed to pay their tax returns with the OIRS has breached the provisions of the law which is criminal and punishable under tax laws.