The lingering tax dispute between the Kogi State Government and telecommunications company, Globacom, appears not abating anytime soon with the state government describing Glo as a serial tax defaulter that has not fulfilled its tax obligations since 2017.
The Executive Chairman of Kogi State Inland Revenue Service, Sule Enehe, made this known while addressing journalists on Wednesday in Lokoja, Kogi State capital.
He said this while responding to the accusation that the agency was collecting illegal taxes in the state.
Enehe said that Glo remained the only telecoms company that had “vehemently” refused to fulfil its tax obligation, including refusal to get approval for planting their masts in the state.
“Glo is a serial tax defaulter who takes pride in refusing to fulfil its tax obligation despite repeated communications asking them to pay up.
“Instead of the company to pay up, they are using various Federal Government agencies to blackmail both the state government and KGIRS,” the chairman said.
Also speaking at the briefing, the Director, Legal services of KGIRS, Saidu Okino, said that the current situation leading to the sealing of the premises housing Glo was carried out after a series of correspondences with the organisation.
He also said a court judgement permitting it to carry out the operation was obtained.
He explained that while other telecoms companies such as MTN and 9mobile had been up to date in their tax obligations, Airtel was paying until recently.
Okino put the tax default of Glo at N300 million while that of Airtel is N60 million.
He added that neither of them had made any serious move to resolve the issue.
Efforts to get the reactions of the two telecoms giants proved abortive as of the time of filing this report.
A Glo regional manager said he was not permitted to speak on the face-off between his organisation and the Kogi Inland Revenue Service when contacted.
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